


Territorial

by totallyrhettro



Series: Werewolves in Burbank [2]
Category: Rhett & Link, rhink - Fandom
Genre: Abduction, Action, Alpha Play, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom Link, Bottom Rhett, Cage, Captivity, Difficult Decisions, Domestic, Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Fights, First Time Blow Jobs, Forced Human Captivity, Gay Sex, Gun Violence, Happy Ending, Happy endings guaranteed, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Kidnapping, M/M, Makeup Sex, Meditation, Minor Character Death, Mutual Masturbation, New Moon Treaty, Original Character Death(s), Painting, Photo Header, Picnic, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Torture, Rescue, Sexual Content, Shooting, Switch Rhink Forever, Top Link, Top Rhett, Torture, Werewolf Sex, Werewolves, mild animal gore, rhink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-07-23 05:05:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 74,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16152188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totallyrhettro/pseuds/totallyrhettro
Summary: After finally realizing their shared love for one another, all internetainers Rhett and Link had to do was live happily ever after. Unfortunately, as it turns out, that's a lot harder to do in a world of werewolves.





	1. Chapter 1

The ten acre plot of land used to be a horse farm. Stables and a large barn still stood on the premises, though they both looked like the next wind could knock them both right over. The short, wooden fence that lined the property was in a similar condition, but at least it still marked the border alright. It had to be replaced, especially if was going to keep people away from a couple of werewolves roaming around thirty-six nights out of the year.

“Maybe we should add barb wire,” Link suggested, wiping sweat from his forehead. It wasn't a particularly hot summer day, but he and Rhett had been hard at work all morning putting up a chain link fence. 

“We don't want anybody hurting themselves on this fence,” Rhett told him, choosing to ignore his companion’s mispronunciation of barbed wire. “We just want them to know this is private property.” He checked the time on his phone. “What do you say we break for lunch? I think we got a lot of fence up so far today.”

They had purchased this land a few weeks ago and together with their friend, Theo, they had been busy fixing it up. That is, making sure it was secure. It didn't need to look pretty, it just had to be private and undisturbed. It was in the middle of nowhere, California. Away from prying eyes and electronic surveillance. There wasn't another home for miles. It was as good a place as any for them to spend time in wolf form.

Rhett had been a werewolf for many months now; Link only a few. They both had been learning what it meant and how to survive their new double life from Theo. The bushy-haired bartender who had, in contrast, been a werewolf for years was more than willing to help out the newly bitten. It wasn't all for kindness, however, but necessity. Werewolves couldn't be left to their own devices, unchecked, uneducated. Rogue werewolves not only could kill innocent humans, they would reveal the existence of werewolves around the world and that could lead to wolf hunts, or worse.

Even though Theo wasn't being exactly charitable with his actions, Rhett wholeheartedly agreed with his reasons. The existence of werewolves needed to be kept a secret, for everyone's sake. Of course, that didn't mean they couldn't have a life. He and Link kept up with their normal day things: filming for their YouTube channels, running a business, having a social life. As far as they could tell, no one at mythical internetainment knew that their bosses weren't entirely human. They may have picked up on their employers’ other secret, though.

“I _am_ hungry,” Link noted, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. “But not just for food.” Rhett raised a single eyebrow as he smirked, knowingly.

“Yeah?” He put his arms around the shorter man. “What are you hungry for?”

“ _You_ look tasty,” he replied, coyly.

“Oh I am, babe.” Link stuck his tongue out with an audible mocking sound before pulling the man’s head down to lick his nose. Rhett giggled. “See?”

“Not bad.” The brunet gave another, brief lick before locking their lips. Rhett did taste good, even though he was just as sweaty as Link. It didn't matter. He felt amazing too; his lips soft and tender nestled in a thick, dirty blond beard. Link knew he would never tire of the sensation, or the many others they could experience when they were alone. Sometimes he wished the two of them had realized their shared affection for one another much earlier. He thought about the wasted years not knowing they were both in love. Those times he would vow to himself not to waste the time they now had, the years ahead of them they could now spend together. “I love you,” he muttered, moving away just enough to speak. 

“I love you too, Link.” Rhett leaned his sweaty forehead against Link’s, closing his eyes. After a moment, he sighed contently then pulled away and looked down into Link’s face. “Can we eat now?”

“ _Fiiine._ ” Link rolled his eyes, but never dropped his smile. He wasn't mad, not really. He was hungry too, when he thought about it. Besides, he knew his boyfriend all too well. When Rhett said he was hungry, he meant it. The man had been often hungry before becoming a werewolf. Now, as the full moon grew closer, his appetites were almost insatiable. All of them. Not that Link complained, mind you. He definitely enjoyed satiating those appetites whenever he could. After all, he felt exactly the same way. Especially right before they turned.

Packing up the leftover nails and bits for the fence into the trailer of their ATV, they got on with Rhett behind Link, and drove off towards the main building. An old farmhouse, the building was actually in remarkable condition considering the rest of the buildings’ state. It was a classic, three story with a wrap-around porch and a sloped roof. It used to be yellow from what they could tell of the faded paint, but Theo and his friend Max were busy giving it a fresh coat of blue to spruce it up. It was coming along nicely.

Link gave the two men a friendly wave as he and Rhett got closer. Rhett just nodded, not wanting to let go of Link’s waist, lest he fall. They pulled up just to the front door and Theo put down his brush, wiping his hands as he came down to greet them. Max was close behind. The muscular man with a perfectly shaved head wasn't just a friend. He worked as Theo’s bouncer in the bar he ran downtown. He was also the Theo’s ‘handler’ meaning he watched him during his moons to make sure he was safe and kept out of trouble. Unlike the other three men here, he wasn't a werewolf, but he was a rare breed. He was the only human Theo trusted and so Rhett and Link trusted him as well.

“How'd it go?” he asked, casually. Rhett hopped off the four-wheeler and gestured towards the trailer, and the rolled up fence inside.

“I think we're almost done. Just a few more hundred feet.” Theo nodded.

“It won't exactly be Fort Knox,” he noted, coming down to join them. “But it should keep out the unwary hiker.” He nodded towards the house. “I got some t-bone’s in the cooler I can grill up. You boys hungry at all?”

“I could eat a horse,” Link joked, sparing a glance towards Rhett. The taller man pretended not to notice but nodded enthusiastically in agreement. Theo chuckled.

“Well let's get you full of cow so you won't have to.” The four of them started making their way inside when three of them suddenly stopped and turned. Even though they weren't in wolf form, their senses were more acute than their unbitten friend. They looked at each other for answers, but no one was expecting anyone else to show up to the farm today. Max eventually heard the noise they were so interested in as well. A large, red truck was coming down the dusty road towards the house. It had a California license plate, but they didn't recognize it. It pulled to a stop just beside the ATV.

Three men got out, all dressed in t-shirts and work jeans. The tallest, a beefy man with a crew cut, looked so cocky Rhett instantly disliked him. The two shorter men had similar expressions as they looked over the farm house with discerning eyes. Obviously from their faces none of them thought much of the place.

“Nice little place you got here,” the tallest stranger began. “So this is where you've been hiding out, Theo.”

“Hello, Seth,” Theo greeted unenthusiastically. “Didn't know you and the boys were in town.”

“Well we've been hearing some very disturbing news from the area and we thought we'd check it out personally.” He looked over at Rhett and Link with more scrutiny than was comfortable. “They the new guys?”

“Rhett, Link, this is Seth, Damian and Caleb Lowell. Their pack roams the woods up north; mostly in Oregon and southern Washington.”

“Pack?” Link asked.

“Wolf pack, buddy,” Caleb clarified. “Has Theo not been teaching you the basics?”

“If you're talking about the rogue mutt down in Los Padres,” Theo explained. “I took care of it.” His faux demure smile faded completely as he remembered that night. With Rhett’s help, Theo had tracked down a werewolf that had been killing hikers in the national forest. That night Rhett was forced to take a life to protect Link. He had saved his best friend and lover, but had failed to keep him from being infected. It was not a night any of them liked to think about.

“Well that's a relief,” Seth grinned, seemingly unaware of the other group’s discomfort. “We were worried something might have happened, like people getting killed or turned.” He turned his eyes pointedly at Rhett and Link. Maybe it was because he was feeling defensive, or these guys were seriously rubbing him the wrong way, but Link felt the need to stick up for his relatively new friend.

“It wasn't his fault. It's not like he’s in charge of every rogue werewolf that goes nuts in California. That’s not his job.” Link glanced up at Rhett. “Is it?” Seth turned to look at him, his expression a bit blank as he sized him up.

“What's your name again?”

“Link.”

“You're right, Link. It's _not_ his job. Nor do we think what happened was his fault. In fact I feel somewhat responsible myself,” he continued, not losing his smile. “I didn't think there were enough mutts around here to present a serious problem but I guess I was wrong. I'm here to rectify that error.”

“How so?” Rhett asked.

“They're here to check up on me,” Theo grumbled. Seth looked hurt, but both Rhett and Link could tell it wasn't quite sincere.

“We're not here to run your life, Theo. Devon was worried so he sent us to help.”

“I don't need your help,” the bartender argued. “There was a problem, but I handled it. It's taken care of.”

“I'm not saying we're not grateful you were able to deal with the mutt, but it's just a symptom of a much bigger problem. Without a pack presence in southern California, rogue mutts are bound to happen again and we don’t want you to have to deal with all of them yourself.” Seth glanced to the two men with him, silently telling them it was time to leave. They started making their way back into the truck. “We’ll be in town for awhile; were staying on up on Big Bear Lake. It was nice seeing you again, Theo.” As he got back into the truck, Caleb sent a grin at the bartender, with a side glance at Rhett and Link. 

“Give us a call if you want to spend your next moon with some real wolves for a change,” he offered. “It’ll be just like old times.”

“Bye, Caleb.” Theo gave a short wave as the Lowells’ truck started up. As soon it was out of sight, he sighed and shot a knowing look towards Max. “Fantastic,” he mumbled. 

“So, what was that all about?” Link asked. Theo shook his head stepping back into the house without a word. Still confused, Link turned to Max.

“The Lowells are a big family of purebreds from up North,” Max explained. “Theo used to run with them years ago but he moved to Los Angeles to get away from them after….”

“After what?” 

“After Theo’s brother died. It's not really my place to talk about it. Let's just say he's not a fan of the pack.” Rhett looked back at the distance road the truck had left on before speaking up.

“Should we be worried?” Rhett wondered. Max sighed.

“I sure hope not. Just… Just steer clear of them. Hopefully they won't be in town very long. Stuck up purebred assholes.” He headed into the house himself, leaving Rhett and Link alone on the porch. 

“Why do I feel like I just got involved with a family squabble?” Link murmured.

“That _was_ a bit dramatic.” Rhett patted his boyfriend on the shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go eat. I’m sure these guys won’t be causing us much trouble.”


	2. Chapter 2

It was a few days later that Rhett and Link were setting out a big picnic blanket on the grass of their new farmland. The fence they were putting up was all finished, almost completely enclosing their property, and they were getting ready to spend their first full moon under the stars together. The sun was low on the horizon and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The weather was perfect, the scenery was perfect, and Rhett couldn't have been happier.

He looked over to Link who was lying down onto his back, his sapphire eyes staring up at the clear skies with a serene expression on his face. His glasses, which he normally wore constantly, were absent; somewhere safe for the night. The top two buttons on his plaid shirt were undone, revealing a lovely amount of his dark chest hair. Rhett watched him for a few moments, unable to believe that he was really here, with him, like this. It was like a dream come true, except for the whole werewolf thing, of course. 

“What's it like?” Link was asking, still looking up. “Being a wolf outside?” Rhett laid down beside him, folding his arms behind his head.

“It can be a little overwhelming, at first,” he recalled. “There are a lot more smells out here, and your wolf nose is going to smell every one of them.”

“Sounds intense.”

“I'll be right here the whole time, just like we practiced.” Rhett had gotten pretty good at staying in hybrid form and he often used that skill to keep his mind during the full moon. Half man and half beast, the hybrid form was a strange mix of human and wolf that werewolves could turn into with practice. Link had tried a few times, but he still didn't quite have the hang of it. This night, Link’s first time transforming outside, Rhett was going to stay in his hybrid form to make sure Link’s wolf didn't run off the property and get into trouble. As a full wolf, Link wouldn't be Link exactly, and he wouldn't even remember who his human form was.

“I just wish I could get my hybrid form to stick,” he lamented. Everytime he tried to go hybrid, he would only be able to stay in it for a few seconds at best. Then the wolf inside would take over and force him to fully transform. It was frustrating.

“You'll get the hang of it,” Rhett assured him. “Theo says it can take years to master the hybrid form.” Link sighed and rolled onto his side, holding his head in one hand and fiddling with the blanket beneath them with his other.

“You managed to master it in no time. I just… I just wish we could be together…” Rhett smiled sweetly, rolling to his side to face his boyfriend. He brushed a stray hair from Link’s face. Ever since Link had gotten his hair cut shorter, Rhett had caught himself staring more often than usual. He always thought Link was gorgeous of course, but his fresh new look was just so… distracting sometimes. Many times, actually. Okay, all the time. 

“We _are_ together, Link,” he promised. “I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere.”

“But I won't remember anything that happens-”

“I’m sure you'll remember something from this night.” Rhett repositioned himself a bit closer before leaning over and kissing Link softy on the lips. He tasted wonderfully of peppermint and peanut butter, remnants of his peculiar lip balm that he always used. Rhett loved the taste of it, especially when he tasted it on Link. His boyfriend moaned, opening his mouth slightly, letting Rhett’s tongue taste past his luscious lips until their tongues met in his mouth. After a minute he pulled away.

“Do we even have time?” he asked, rubbing his fingertips through the edges of Rhett’s beard. “The sun will be fully set soon.”

“You can't wind me up and not try.” Rhett shifted even closer, pressing his body against Link’s. He placed a hand on the other man’s waist, just under his shirt. His rough hands were very warm, almost hot. Both of their body temperatures were well above normal during the week of the full moon, and being this close to each other… They were practically on fire.

“You started it,” Link argued. Rhett grinned, hearing the flutter in Link’s voice, seeing the desire in his eyes that matched his own. He wasn't very good at hiding it these days, or maybe he just knew that he didn't have to anymore. So many years he had pretended to feel nothing more than platonic affection for his dear friend, not knowing his real feelings were actually shared. Not realizing that as much as he loved Rhett, Rhett loved him just as much.

“I did,” Rhett admitted, looking at the ground for a moment before looking up with a single raised eyebrow. “Want me to finish it?”

“Shut up.” Link pulled him closer and bit his lip just a bit harder than necessary before kissing him again. He no longer cared about the late hour, not while Rhett was slowly running his hand up his shirt. When they first became werewolves, their bodies weren’t used the changes that came with every full moon. Every sense becomes more acute, every smell, every sound. Other things became more intense as well, growing worse as the full moon got closer and closer. Over the months since, they had both learned to control themselves more, quell the fires that burned for one another. When they wanted to.

The first time they were intimate, they were like wild animals, giving into their canine instincts, their animalistic desires. Every full moon after that, they did it again. The wolves inside them taking almost complete control. During the rest of the month, they explored the gentler nature of their new relationship, taking time, moving slowly and relishing the sensations of one another’s bodies. There was no need to rush, no crazy mad dash to finish. They were in charge, not the wolves inside them. They enjoyed how their sex life alternated between wild, bestial humping and slow, passionate love making.

As Rhett began to unbutton Link’s shirt, his hips already starting to grind slowly against his lover, he knew he had a choice. He could take his time, making the other man whimper and squirm under his touch, begging for more. He could but didn’t really want to, and not just because the moon was going to come over the horizon at any minute. 

“There are far too many buttons on your shirt,” he grumbled, trying to get the bottom one to cooperate. Link reached down to help, his hands shaking a bit more than usual.

“Careful. I just got this shirt.” Together they finally managed to undo the shirt and Link pulled it off and set it behind him. Rhett chuckled.

“You shouldn’t have brought it then. We’re going to turn into wolves Link, and your wolf is a chewer.” Instead of responding Link brought his hands to Rhett’s blue t-shirt and started lifting it over his head. His mouth felt Rhett’s lips almost the moment the shirt was free. He giggled at the other man’s enthusiasm but matched it with fervor. One hand held Rhett’s face, running his palm over the soft bristles of his beard while the other worked blindly to undo his own belt buckle. 

Once his body was free of all fabric, Link rolled Rhett onto his back, breaking away their kiss to straddle Rhett's legs and remove the rest of his clothing. Rhett meanwhile laid flat, catching his breath and taking a moment to check the sky. The daytime blue was fading into a deep purple, with vibrant oranges, reds and yellows on the horizon and even a few streaks of green just over the distant mountains. A gentle breeze was blowing over the nearby trees bringing strong scents to his werewolf-enhanced nose. He took in a deep breath, inhaling the crisp air before sighing contently.

Rhett didn't look up as Link unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants, waiting for the naked man on top of him to crawl up his body to kiss him again. He let out a sharp gasp as he felt a warm, wet mouth encompass his member.

“Link…” he whispered, closing his eyes. Many times he had thought about Link doing this exact thing, but never had the courage to ask. They'd each used their hands many times but this was different. He could feel his boyfriend’s talented tongue swirl around as he bobbed his head slowly up and down. “Oh… oh Link…” Rhett brought one hand to Link’s head, cupping it softly, resisting the urge to pull on his dark hair like a madman. Instead, he gently guided him as his hips thrusted in concert with his mouth. 

It was incredible. Link took as much of Rhett’s member into his mouth as he could, switching between using his tongue to feel along the sensitive skin and just straight sucking. He tried to go deep, but gagged a bit as the tip crossed too far into his throat.

“You okay?” Rhett asked, lifting his head to look. Link pulled back and nodded.

“Yeah I just… Never done this before.” He gave a small cough, clearing his throat before going down again.

“You don't have to-oo-hoo… Oh god, Link…” Rhett’s head fell backwards onto the soft blanket again as Link got back to work. For being the first time he had ever performed a blowjob, he was very good at it. Rhett told himself he would most definitely have to return the favor.

“I want you good and hard for me,” Link explained, taking a short break, using his hand to pump Rhett’s member. “I want… I want you inside me.” Rhett bit his lip, groaning at Link’s words. He loved it when his boyfriend was forward. The first time they had sex, Link had never been with a man before. Rhett had, so he let Link be the one to ‘top’. Since then, they had both topped, the more experienced of the two teaching his lover exactly how to do it. 

Link was a fast learner.

“God, Link, your gonna make me come if you don't stop… So good…” As soon as Link stopped for a third time, Rhett wiggled the rest of the way out of his jeans and tossed them aside, but not before grabbing something very important from the pocket.

“What is that?” Rhett held up the very small bottle. “Pocket size?”

“I didn't want to bring a whole bottle,” Rhett told him. “Just in case something happened to it. Plus I wasn't sure you'd want to-”

“But you hoped?”

“You make it sound like I'm not romantic.” Rhett gave Link an indigent look as he popped the cap on the travel-sized bottle of lube. “I wasn't going to force you to do anything if you didn't want to, but you should know by now…” He held back a gasp as he ran the cold liquid over his spit-covered cock. “I always want to fuck you, Link.” Link couldn't help but blush. Rhett very rarely swore, and he was so hot when he did during sex. Plus, in the dimming light, sweat starting to form over his naked chest and his own member stiff in his hand…. He was irresistible.

“Save some for me, Romeo.” Grabbing the bottle from Rhett, Link squirted what was left into his palm. Then, situating himself over his lover, he reached down and began to coat his entrance liberally. Carefully he inserted a finger inside, then a second, stretching his muscles for the main event. As he did so he resumed running his other hand up and down Rhett’s cock, going slower now, not wanting him to come too soon.

Once he was sure he was ready, Link removed his fingers from his entrance and Rhett’s member from his hand. Rhett grasped his waist, helping him maneuver into position. Then, moving faster than he usually would, Link lowered himself onto Rhett’s cock. It hurt for a moment, but he quickly settled into a comfortable spot. He sat there a moment while his body readjusted to accommodate the large object now within.

“Dang your huge, Rhett!” he exclaimed, quietly. It never ceased to amaze him. Rhett chuckled, sending vibrations through his body and right into Link’s pelvis. Link shuddered. “Shut up,” he muttered, reflexively. When he met his lover's eyes again, they were looking up with him so kindly, with adoration and trust. With such kindness. With so much love.

Rocking his hips, Link began to move. He felt so full with Rhett inside him, but in the most wonderful way. When he moved, Rhett moved. Together they were one, one body, one soul. For almost their entire lives they had been friends, for most of their friendship they had been closer than brothers. Now as lovers, they were right where they were meant to be. It felt like destiny, like fate. Like nothing in the world could pull them apart. 

Gently picking up speed, Link was in full control. Rhett was bigger, sure, in lots of ways, but he never minded when Link took charge. Some nights he would be the ‘big dog’, taking Link with aggressive (but acceptable) force. He enjoyed that too. Rhett didn't care what Link did, really, as long as Link did it with him.

Link let out a sharp moan when he felt Rhett brush that certain spot inside. Rhett thrusted hard, hitting it again. Now Link switched from a gentle rocking to more of a rolling motion, using his arms to lift himself up slightly, and back down over and over. 

“Yes, oh! Oh right there, fuck…” His eyes clenched tight, focusing on the feelings inside. Rhett kept his eyes open, watching and matching Link’s movements with his own. One hand still on the man’s waist, he brought his other hand to the hard cock before him, pre-come starting to drip down the head. Firmly he began to pump up and down much the same way Link had been doing moments earlier.

As they came closer to finishing, they also began to feel something else. A now familiar tingle over their skin. Link opened his eyes and looked up. The moon was just peeking over the horizon and starting its ascent into the night sky.

“Rhett! The- the moon!”

“Don't stop, Link!” Rhett pleaded, breathlessly. “Don't... Don't stop...” Neither could stop now even if they wanted to. Link closed his eyes again, willing himself to not change, to stay human. Now, more than ever, he wanted to stay human.

“I'm so close…” Sliding up and down on Rhett’s member, Link moved faster and harder, maybe even a little too hard but Rhett didn't mind. He pumped Link’s cock, hoping to bring him to finish before he changed. He cared more about that than finishing himself. 

Suddenly, he saw fur sprouting on his arm, and on Link’s torso. The transformation had begun, but they didn't stop. Their legs grew longer, stretching out behind Link, sharp claws forming on their feet and hands. Rhett let go of Link’s member but kept moving his hips in tandem. His face elongated, forming the snout of the wolf. He could feel the tail pressing out on his backside and knew Link’s was forming as well. They were so close.

Link was magnificent in hybrid form, jet black fur covering his body and his blue eyes became like piercing steel. His already fairly toned body became more muscular and his pointy teeth were replaced by sharp fangs. Rhett was similarly changed, with his green eyes turning golden brown, and his fur a sandy blond. He growled, half from now being in his hybrid form, and from Link still riding him. It felt incredible.

When he came, Link raised his head to the sky and howled. Rhett followed soon after, joining Link’s triumphant and glorious voice with his own. The pleasure from their shared orgrasm amplified a hundred times by their transformation, sending them to new heights of ecstasy they never knew existed. They had never done anything like this before, and he wasn't sure it was entirely safe, but they was glad they did it. As Link pulled out of his lover, Rhett held him close; Link had been in his own hybrid form longer than he ever had before, and he was very proud of him.

Then, in his furry arms, Rhett could feel his friend keep shifting. He looked down into those blue eyes and saw contentment replaced by fear. He was slipping away, just like every time before.

‘ _Stay with me. _’ Rhett tried to convey with his eyes what his mouth could not say. ‘ _Please, Link. You can do this._ ’ Link tried to hold on, but he just couldn’t seem to. He whined, helpless and scared. Rhett just held him closer. ‘ _It's okay. I got you. I'll be right here._ ’ He wished he could help, but there was nothing else to be done. He could only watch as his boyfriend continued to change, going from half man to full wolf in a matter of seconds. The eyes that he had known since childhood no longer showed fear. The wolf was never afraid of being a wolf. The wolf looked, if anything, happy. It didn't know Link, but it knew Rhett, at least his wolf and hybrid forms.__

__Snuggling close, Link’s wolf closed his eyes, sleepy after such a rigorous activity. Rhett let out a small sigh, smiling down with his canine face. He patted his companion lightly._ _

__‘ _It's okay, Link,_ ’ he was saying without words. ‘ _I'll always be right here._ ’ Then, certain that they would be fine until morning, he too closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep._ _


	3. Chapter 3

Werewolves have many powers. They have increased strength, enhanced senses, and they can run incredibly fast. They also have wonderful healing capabilities; they heal very rapidly which is one of the reasons they are so difficult to kill. It also meant that the bruises and scratches that Rhett and Link often left on one another’s skin when they made love faded quickly the day after. They both would be very embarrassed if anyone saw the red lines that inevitably covered their arms and chests, or the bite marks here and there. 

As the two men drove into town the next morning, Rhett rubbed his chest. Even though the scratches from last night were long gone, he could still feel them there.

“Can you imagine if our fans saw the marks you've left on me?” he wondered.

“You've done your fair share of damage too, Rhett,” Link noted, grinning knowingly.

“I'm not complaining. Sometimes I wish they didn't heal so fast. I like the idea of being marked by you. It's like, I'm your Rhett, no one else's.” He blushed slightly, embarrassed by his confession, but Link placed a hand on his knee.

“And I'm your Link. I do like how my skin looks with your bite marks. At least we can always make more.”

“I can't wait.” Rhett was already imagining Link on top of him again, he couldn't get enough. Just the thought of Link moving up and down, his head thrown back in ecstasy, was starting to make Rhett hard all over again. His boyfriend immediately noticed and pulled his hand away.

“Easy there, tiger,” he warned. “We have to get some actual work done first.” They had planned to finish painting the farmhouse. Max and Theo had gotten the job started the day before but they wanted to help finish. Rhett and Link has taken the whole week off to work on their new house. Usually they only took off three days at most when the full moon came around. They took more time off this month because they wanted to get used to this new set up. They were also using this time as a mini vacation which, between filming Good Mythical Morning and Buddy System, they felt they surely needed.

Life was hard for two werewolves running three YouTube channels. At the very least, it could get exhausting. 

In town, a small burg just a few hundred people short of being a hamlet, they stopped by the local diner to grab some breakfast. Rhett was still a bit worked up so he parked the car, and waited to cool down a little, while Link went inside to grab a table. It wasn't busy; just a few other people inside. He didn't recognize most of the folks, being new to the area, but at the far end sat a trio of men he did know. It was Seth Lowell and his brothers. Damian waved Link over as soon as he saw him.

“Morning!” the man greeted. “Link, right?

“That's right. Good morning.”

“Just taking in some of the local cuisine. Why don't you join us?” Seth nodded in agreement, shifting slightly in the booth to make room, but Link waved his hand no.

“Actually I'm here with Rhett-”

“We'll get a bigger table, then,” Seth suggested. “We didn't really get a chance to talk yesterday. We'd like to get to know you proper.” Link glanced back at the door just in time to see Rhett enter. He felt a warm smile cross his face at the sight of his boyfriend; his security blanket had arrived. It wasn't like he normally felt anxious when speaking to new people, but knowing these men were werewolves like him… Not like him. More experienced, wolves since birth. He felt slightly intimidated by them.

“Hey, fellas,” Rhett said as he stepped next to Link, resisting the urge to hold the man’s hand. “How are y'all doing?” 

“Great. Just asking your friend here if you wanted to join us?”

“Another time. Link and I have to talk about work, I'm afraid. Just because we're taking some time off for the moon doesn't mean we can be slacking off.”

“What is it you guys do?” Damian asked.

“We make internet videos,” Link chimed in. “We have a daily talk show called Good Mythical Morning.”

“Like on the YouTube?” 

“Yup,” Rhett nodded.

“Guess we'll have to check that out sometime,’ Seth said, looking at his brothers. They both nodded in agreement. “Well, we won't keep you then. Nice seeing you boys.”

Rhett and Link offered their farewells before finding a table of their own. The shorter man knew the other well enough to know when he was lying, and moments ago he had done just that. They weren't planning on discussing work while they ate, Rhett had just said that so they didn't have to sit with Seth and his boys. Why, exactly, Link wasn't sure, but he trusted Rhett would tell him when they we out of earshot of the other men. Since they were werewolves, that meant nowhere inside the diner.

So while they enjoyed the comforts of a delicious meal, they did talk about work. Occasionally Rhett would glance over Link's shoulder to look at the purebreds and Link could feel their gaze looking back. He tried not to think about it, but it was unnerving. It wasn't so much that Seth and his brothers made him nervous, it was the strange energy that was being emitted from Rhett, like something he had never felt before. Maybe he was just overthinking things but Link thought his best friend even smelled a bit different.

After breakfast, they drove towards the local hardwood store to pick up some more paint. Link gave Rhett a few minutes of peace before finally breaking the silence.

“You feeling alright?”

“Sure, Link. Why do you ask?”

“You seem a bit off. You sort of blew off Seth and them.”

“I just get this weird vibe around them. I can't put my finger on it.”

“I think we should give them a chance. I don't know a lot of werewolves, just you and Theo. I'd like to learn as much as I can about our condition.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Rhett picked food out of his teeth with his tongue while he thought for a moment. “I get the feeling they have some sort of history with Theo and Max.”

“Well he won't talk about it and I'm not going to judge them based on Theo and Max just ‘not liking’ them. They seem nice enough.”

“You're probably right, but we should be careful anyway. They are still werewolves, and until this moon is over they are extra dangerous, even in human form.” Link nodded but didn't reply. He didn't like Rhett being so protective; he felt he could take care of himself. As they pulled into the hardware store parking lot, the subject was dropped, but Link resolved to speak to the Lowells on his own if he got the chance.

~ ~ ~

That evening, after the sun went down, Rhett was lying beside Link as he slept soundly in his wolf form. Rhett, meanwhile, was in his sandy-brown hybrid form just watching his love breathing in and out. He looked so peaceful. Even as a jet black canine, he was beautiful. He had managed to stay in his own hybrid form for almost a full minute this time. Despite Link’s insecurities, Rhett knew he was getting better at holding his form. It wouldn’t be long before they could spend these nights together, really together, and both be able to remember it.

Rhett nuzzled Link one last time before settling down beside him, ready to fall asleep himself and wake up beside a very sexy, naked brunet. Waking up next to Link was one of his favorite things in the whole world. Even when it was back in the deadbolted basement room where they used to transform together. Sure it was cold and uncomfortable, but at least they were together.

Just as he felt sleep pulling him away from consciousness, his ears perked straight up. He couldn’t describe how he sensed it, more than hearing, more than smelling, but he just knew. They weren’t alone. It wasn’t Theo; he was still staying in his secure room at his bar, Lobos, downtown. This was someone new. It was an unnerving feeling. The fur on the back of his neck stood up on end. 

‘ _Someone is here._ ’ He looked around his immediate vicinity but he didn’t see anyone, even with his enhanced eyesight, but whomever it was they were too close. A strange, irresistible urge started resonating inside him. He had to find them. He had to protect Link. Shifting carefully, so as to not wake his boyfriend, Rhett stood up on all fours. He was faster on all fours.

It was a gloomy night, none of the stars could shine through the dark clouds and not even the bright moon could pierce its way down, but that meant nothing to the werewolf. He moved swiftly across the fields all the way past the farmhouse and the old stables towards the nearby forest on the northern edge of the property. He only slowed down a tiny bit as he approached the chain fence he and Link had finished putting up the day before. Being far more athletic in his hybrid form than he ever had been as a human, he easily cleared the fence, landing gracefully on the other side before continuing his search.

The sense beyond sound and smell was getting stronger as he ran deeper into the woods. The strange presence was close now, the unfamiliar scent an easy trail to follow. His well-trained nose led him through the trees until he was close enough for his ears to pick up on the sound of commotion nearby. Slowing down, he walked as softly as he could, heading towards the source of the disturbance. Around a fallen log and down into a small, dry gully, he saw three large wolves. After a moment of watching them, examining them more closely, he realized they weren’t normal wolves. They were like him: werewolves.

The largest of the three, a silver-tinged brunet with dark chartreuse eyes, was hunched over the fresh carcass of a huge deer. The other two seemed to be waiting their turn while the first gorged itself on blood and flesh. Part of Rhett wanted to jump down there, knock the lead wolf to the side and take the feast for himself. It was an unnerving impulse, and it sickened the human part of his brain. He had to look away as his stomach turned over from disgust. As he moved away from the nauseating sight, one of the smaller wolves turned its head and looked up at him. 

Rhett froze. A myriad of emotion and instinct hit him all at once as the wolf started to shift into its hybrid form. The two other strangers noticed their companion changing and looked up to see what was going on before shifting themselves. The animal side of Rhett took over; he stood up to his full ten foot, eight inch height. The shaggy fur on his neck and head puffed out and he snarled menacingly.

Adrenaline coursed through his veins and he felt ready to pounce on anything that got too close but instead of attacking, as soon as the wolves finished transforming into their half human forms, they began to chuckle. It was a very odd sound, coming from three werewolves. Rhett’s snarl faltered, his ferocity faded, replaced by bewilderment. He tilted his head to the side trying to understand what was going on. 

“Feast with us, my brother,” the largest wolf said, his words thick and gruff through his large teeth. “Embrace your beast.” Rhett had never heard a werewolf speak, he had tried many times himself but it never seemed that important. He and Link always used nonverbal methods to communicate during the moons. There was so much they could convey with just a look, the twitch of an ear, the wag of a tail. To hear actual words coming from this canine face was almost lurid. Not wanting to be intimidated in his own territory, he slid down the cliff back feet first until he was level with them. 

“Who are you?” he asked. Well, he tried. His words all came out in a garbled mess, but his body language told enough. The others understood. Although he was taller than all three of them, they outnumbered him and he felt uneasy being this close. He knew his scent betrayed this truth, as well as countless others, but their scent was unknown. It took him a moment to realize there was only one trio they could be. ‘ _Seth._ ’

“Yes,” the leader confirmed. “Join us. Give in to your wolf. He hungers. You know this.” Rhett looked down at what remained of the dead deer. His human mind balked at the site, but the wolf inside him was salivating. It smelt both revolting and enticing at the same time and he hated the dichotomy of his own brain. He wanted to leave this place, go back and be with Link, his love. He also wanted to bend down before the offered meal and eat until he could no longer move. It was getting hard to know which desires were his, and which were his wolf’s. It was getting hard to focus, to think like a man, to resist the animal inside.

He had to make a choice. If he went full wolf, his mind would leave until the morning, the wolf would take complete control. It would be so easy, to let the beast inside take over and eat with the others, but he couldn’t let that happen. Growling, more at himself than any of these half men, Rhett turned away from the carcass. The Lowells looked on, confused, as the tawny werewolf stepped away from their gift. Stepped away, and headed back towards the farm.

“No,” he said, surprising both himself and his uninvited guests. He would not let his wolf rule him. He had someone who needed him right now, someone who he needed to protect. Without looking back, Rhett climbed out of the gully and started to run back to where he hoped his friend was still sleeping. He didn’t see the friendly faces of Seth and his brothers contort into glares. All he cared about at the moment was Link. Nothing else mattered.


	4. Chapter 4

“You’ve been awfully quiet this morning,” Link noted. “Is everything okay?” He brushed a few rogue hairs out of his eyes with the back of his hand. They had been painting the rooms of their new farm house for a few hours now and Rhett had barely spoken since they woke up in the fields. He felt so distant now and that wasn’t like him at all. There was something obviously on his mind but it was odd that he didn’t just come out and talk about it. They never kept secrets, not since they both told each other how they really felt. Also how Rhett was a werewolf. That had been an eventful night, to say the least. 

“Everything’s fine,” Rhett assured him, not looking away from the wall he was currently working on. “I’m just a little tired. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“I hope I didn’t make any trouble for you, in my wolf form.” It was frustrating not only being unable to recall the nights when he transformed, but not being in control of his wolf self was extremely aggravating. He always worried that Rhett, who stayed in hybrid form to look after his friend, would get sick of babysitting him three nights every month. 

“You were perfect, as always.” Rhett leaned down to kiss the top of Link’s head. Both of their hands were either holding paintbrushes or covered in paint so he wanted to be careful. “I think there were some wild animals near the property. Kept my wolf side a bit agitated. No big deal.” Link nodded, holding back his worry for now. Maybe it wasn’t a big deal anyway. They were both still adjusting to their new hideaway. It was foolish to think it would be routine after only a few days.

Rhett set down his brush on the white sheet laid out to cover the floor. He looked over the newly painted walls, pleased with his and Link’s handiwork. Despite his worries about last night, he was feeling better just being here. In a way, this place was like their dream home. Sure it wasn’t what he would have pictured when he thought about his ideal house; the hallways were too narrow upstairs and it needed a lot of work to be brought up to code. But working on it with Link, the love of his life, was very idyllic. It wasn’t long ago that he would never even hoped they would be working on a home, their home, together. It was so wonderfully domestic. So perfectly normal. 

“I think we’re gonna need another can to finish the room,” he noted. “Want to run into town with me?” Link glanced down at the dirty carpet that lined the entire upper floor.

“Actually I’d like to work on tearing up the old carpet up here.” 

“You sure? I’m probably not going to be back for several hours.” Link stepped in close giving Rhett a half hug as best he could without touching him with his paint-soaked hands. He placed his head against the taller man’s shoulder, breathing in his scent. He smelled like paint and sweat, but beneath all that, he smelled like home. 

“I’m sure. I want to get as much done on this place before we have to go back to Burbank.” Rhett nodded, unable to hold back a small sigh. He hated when they were apart for too long, after all those wasted years as just friends. Daring to risk getting paint all over Link’s already stained shirt, Rhett pulled the man close, holding him tight. Link grinned and hugged back, placing large hand-shaped prints on the man’s back. “Love you,” he added, softly.

“I love you, too.”

~ ~ ~

After changing out of his dirty clothes and into something street worthy (a pair of skinny jeans and a plaid shirt) Rhett drove into town to pick up some more paint. While he was feeling very blue from being apart of Link, he was relieved to have time to himself just to think. The events of the previous night still weighed heavily on his mind and he knew his boyfriend could tell. He didn’t want to worry him by telling him about what had happened, instead hoping that he could deal with it on his own. It wasn’t Link that had been tempted to savage behavior. It wasn’t Link that wanted to give in to the horrible beast within.

This wasn’t the first time that Rhett had trouble with his wolf. He could remember when he had first became infected, how the urges were so strong. Every time he saw a rabbit or a squirrel sprint across his lawn, he wanted to leap onto it and tear it to pieces. Over the next months, he learned to control the urges, but they were always there. Then, on the night when Link was bitten, when Rhett and Theo had hunted down that rogue werewolf, he had taken a life. It was to save Link. It was to protect the secret that was their kind, but it was also a person. A werewolf yes, but he was no different than Rhett or Link, really. Inside, he was a human with a life, and Rhett had ended it. 

He still had nightmares about that. They were few and far between these days, but whenever they happened it was like the events of that fateful night had happened yesterday. While he was awake, it felt like a bad story. It couldn’t possibly be real, but this was one story he could never tell. He didn’t like keeping secrets from Link, but he didn’t want his boyfriend to be afraid of him. Rhett was already afraid of himself, of what he was capable of. 

Theo, his friend, his mentor, taught him many things since they met last year. It was to him that Rhett went when he needed help, or guidance as a werewolf. Now, as he struggled with figuring out what exactly happened last night, he needed his knowledged friend. So, after picking up the supplies he and Link needed at the farm house, Rhett drove into downtown L.A. to the small out of the way bar, Lobo’s. Hopefully, Theo wouldn’t mind the visit.

It wasn’t very busy, it never was. Theo always walked the line between having enough business to support himself financially and not being too busy as to attract attention. Today there were a few people in the darker corners of the establishment, the sorrowful souls who came to drink during the day. They wouldn’t be a problem; they wanted nothing to do with Rhett or anyone else, just to drink and wallow in peace. Max was there, tending the bar. He gave Rhett a short nod as he entered.

“Hey, Rhett,” he said, as Rhett got closer. “How’s work going at the new homestead?”

“Good. We finished painting the main living room and Link’s working on the upstairs now.”

“You come in to get a drink before getting back?” He gave a knowing smile; he could guess why Rhett was really here.

“I wanted to see Theo, actually. He in his office?” Max nodded, pointing the way with his thumb.

“Just doing the books. Go on back.”

“Thanks.”

Theo’s office was down a long hallway, past the two bathrooms and a large, unmarked, steel door. Few people have ever seen the other side of that door. It was Theo’s safe room, the place where he changed every time the full moon rose. Max, his bartender/handler/best friend kept watch over him those nights, for his safety. Rhett had spent a night there once. It seemed like ages ago, but it was only last year. So much can change in a single year.

Rhett knocked on the office door and Theo’s cheerful voice told him to come in. He smiled as the tall man entered, but he look slightly ragged, his shaggy brown hair sticking up in odd directions and his clothes were wrinkled and unwashed. If Rhett didn’t know any better, he’d think his friend had gone on a bender last night. Of course, the truth was a bit more uncommon.

“Hey, Rhett! How’s it going?” he asked, shifting over some files he was looking at to give his guest his full attention.

“Alright. Trying to get as much work done on the house that we can before getting back to filming.” Theo motioned for Rhett to sit in the comfy chair across from the desk which he gladly accepted. The whole room wasn’t very big, like much of the entire building. A few filing cabinets stood in one far corner, covered in papers as well as filled to the brim. A window filled most of the opposite wall but not much light passed through the thick blinds. A single floor lamp near the doorway managed to illuminate the small space. Rhett closed the door softly, not wanting to be disturbed.

“You know you’re always welcome to stay with us during the moons,” he reminded Theo. “It’s a lot nicer than that little concrete cell you call a safe room.”

“It may not be elegant but it is effective and convenient. Your new place is a two hour drive outside of town. I can’t really afford to take a vacation every month like you two can. After I change back I have to take a shower and get back to work. I have a business to run here, humble though it may be.”

“Well, the offer will always stand, regardless. You’re our friend. We owe you a lot.”

“It was my pleasure. It’s nice to have good werewolf friends like you.” They exchanged smiles, but both were slightly forced. The sentiment was genuine, but both could tell their friend had more on his mind. “Something wrong? Did the change go alright last night?”

“Link and I… had some visitors to the property. Few hours after sunset,” he clarified. Theo didn’t look very surprised and that was worrying. “I think it was Seth and his brothers.”

“How close to your borders?” No surprise at all. He just wanted details.

“Not far. Few hundred yards,” Rhett remembered. “They were eating a deer. They…. They asked me to join them.”

“Just you?”

“Link wasn’t with me. He was asleep when I… sensed them. I can’t explain how.” Theo nodded.

“Your alpha instinct,” he explained. “You feel protective over your territory. It’s hard to explain how you know when there are intruders, or danger nearby. You just know. It’s a valuable instinct. I’m impressed.”

“You don’t seem surprised to know they were there,” Rhett stated, not wanting the subject ignored.

“I don’t like how close they got, but no. I’m not." He took a deep breath as he leaned back. "It’s no coincidence they were out hunting so close to your territory. It’s a power play, a deliberate maneuver designed to test you and to show you that they aren’t afraid of you. If you were a large pack, they wouldn’t have dared to do such a thing, but you and Link are just two mutts to them, nobodies.”

“Is it a threat? A show of strength? Should I be insulted? How should I respond?” Theo held up a hand to quell the onslaught of questions.

“If you were in a formidable pack, there’s several things I would suggest, but as there are just two of you, three if you count me,” he quickly amended. “Standing up to them, or showing force is not advised. They outnumber us ten to one, easy. I don’t relish the idea of rolling over either, but…”

“I don’t want to start a fight,” Rhett affirmed. “I don’t care about werewolf politics. All Link and I want is to be left alone; that’s all we’ve ever wanted.”

“I’m sure that’s what most people want,” Theo sighed. He looked down at the papers scattered over his desk. “I just want to run a simple business, maybe buy a boat someday but-” he motioned at the papers- “the government insists I pay them now and then.” He gave a half hearted chuckle, but Rhett didn’t laugh back.

“They were at that restaurant Link likes, too,” he noted instead.

“I’m sure that’s no coincidence either. It probably smells like both of you if you visit it often. They are here to check on you, on all of us. They were here this morning.” Rhett shifted in his seat, unsettled by this news.

“What did they want?”

“To know about you, and Link. About… The hermit in Los Padres.”

“What… What did you tell them?”

“They aren’t the human police, Rhett. This falls under werewolf law and we did what was necessary. If it hadn’t been us, they would have sent someone else to do the same thing.” Theo took a breath, giving his friend a sympathetic look. “I told them the truth. We went to confront the rogue wolf who had been killing humans and he attacked us. We were forced to defend ourselves. The result was regrettable, yes, but probably unavoidable. We did what we had to do.”

“Not we. Me. I was the one who… who took his life. It was my hand that drove the dagger into him and…” He closed his eyes. 

“You had to protect Link. He would have killed him otherwise, and countless other people. You were completely justified.” Rhett sighed and looked up into Theo’s face again. There were tears forming on the edges of his eyelids and his normally cheerful face was uncharastically sullen. 

“Then why don’t I _feel_ justified?”


	5. Chapter 5

Link enjoyed a bit of manual labor now and then. Despite his reputation for being klutzy he was pretty skilled with his hands. Tearing up the old, stained rug upstairs didn't exactly call for finesse anyway, and it provided him an outlet for his pent up energy; he always had extra during the moons. It was satisfying to hear the rip of the carpet with every sharp tug, feel the matting come up from the floorboards.

The wood underneath was probably very nice once but was now covered in nail holes and splashed paint, along with some other random stains. Link was already thinking about how they could replace it as he finished the upstairs bedroom and moved on to the hallway. He had just made it past the upstairs bathroom when he heard a truck pull into the driveway. Confused, he brushed off the dust from his hands before heading down to the front door to greet any would-be visitors.

A quick glanced outside told him it wasn’t the silver FJ cruiser he and Rhett shared nor Theo’s brown bronco. It took him a split second to recognize it was Seth’s giant, red truck. He didn’t see Seth himself, however, just Damian at the door. The short, round-faced man walked confidently up to the wrap-around deck and strode over to the front door before knocking firmly twice.

“Hey, Damian,” Link greeted, upon opening the door. “If you’re looking for Theo he’s at his bar.”

“Actually I was hoping to speak with you and Rhett; see how you two was doing.” He glanced inside, his nostrils flaring slightly. 

“We’re doing fine. Rhett just went into town to grab some supplies.” Link was doing his utmost to be polite, but he didn’t like this unexpected visit to his and Rhett’s private sanctuary; especially when he was here alone. 

“I’m not trying to be rude, I promise.” Damian shifted his weight, sensing Link’s unease and stepping back half a step. “Devon really is concerned for you and your lot. We just want to make sure you guys are staying safe.”

“We’ve been just fine by ourselves for quite sometime now.” Link’s politeness was a bit strained, but Damian didn’t seem to notice. “Rhett was turned last year, attacked by a rogue werewolf and we didn’t hear from you guys then.”

“We are sorry about that but you have to understand…” The shorter man looked apologetically up at Link. “It’s not like we weren’t in contact with the area. Theo himself told us everything was under control. He encouraged us to stay up North and not help out. He said he would handle it.” Link didn’t know what to say to that. It had not occurred to him that Theo had spoken to the Lowell pack at all since he and Rhett had met the him. 

“When was this?”

“Shortly after your friend was attacked. We heard about it real fast.” This gave Link pause as he considered this new information. “May I come in?”

“Yeah, sure,” Link nodded. “Sorry about the state of the place.” He stepped back and gestured towards the dining room to the side. “It was a bit run down when we bought it, but it’s coming along. Want something to drink? Water? Beer?” Damian wiped his shoes on the doormat before stepping in.

“Water would be nice,” he replied, following Link to the chairs at the dining room table. Like the rest of the house, the dining room still needed a lot of work before it would be presentable, but the table and chairs were in good condition. Rhett and Link had found them in an antique store a few weeks after buying the place. While Damian sat down, his host went into the neighboring kitchen to wash his hands and get them both something to drink.

“How long have you been a werewolf?” Link asked when he got back, handing his guest a glass and sitting in a chair beside him.

“All my life, Link. That’s what being a purebred means,” Damian explained. “My father was a werewolf, and my mother. I think my grandmother on my father’s side was a human, but that’s not uncommon. You keep breeding only wolves and you’ll quickly have inbreeding. There just aren’t that many of us these days.”

“Right. Purebreds," Link nodded. "Theo mentioned that. He’s a good teacher, I’m just not always the best student. Rhett though… He’s his prized pupil.” Link tried not to sound to bitter about that.

“I’m sure you’re a good student,” Damian assured him. “I just think you’re education is lacking down here. There’s so much you and your friend need to know to survive in this world.”

“We’ve managed.”

“That you have," Damian agreed. "I’ll give ya that, but that could have been just luck. Just ‘cause you and your friends dealt with one rogue werewolf by yourselves doesn’t mean you’re prepared to deal with others.”

“Others?” The idea of more rogue werewolves in the area made him a little sick to his stomach. Dealing with one was bad enough. 

“There’s very little in the werewolf world that our pack doesn't hear about, especially so close to our territory,” Damian continued. “There are dozens of rogue mutts living in california alone, unsupervised, unchecked. Now I’m sure most of them are fine, decent people. Most of the time. But when the full moon comes out, so does the beast, and anyone who doesn’t understand how to control it… well, they’re dangerous.

Frankly, I’m surprised a young wolf like yourself was able to take down a veteran.”

“I didn’t,” Link admitted. “I was there, sure, but it was all Rhett and Theo.” 

“What happened?” Thinking back, Link could remember the events of that night clearly. He would never forget, though sometimes he wished he could.

“I don’t know much. I was waiting in the car for the guys to come back from finding the werewolf that had been killing people. It was almost dawn when I saw it coming out of the forest. If it weren’t for Rhett, it probably would have killed me. He stabbed it with a silver dagger.”

“Rhett was in human form?” Damian guessed.

“Hybrid.”

“Rhett’s able to transform into a hybrid? That’s quite an accomplishment for someone so young.” Link didn’t respond. He looked down at his water as he sipped it, slowly. “Can you do it too?”

“No I… Not for very long.” Link frowned. “I think about sixty seconds is my record.”

“I wouldn’t feel too bad about it. Most mutts can't even do it at all.” Damian gave Link a nice smile. “I can help you, if you like.”

“Can you become a hybrid?” 

“All purebreds can. We start learning about controlling our form even before our first change. We’re raised since birth to be werewolves. It’s more than just a monthly thing. We embrace it completely because it’s who we are. Because of that, we are very good at transforming between wolf, human, and hybrid during the moons. I can help you do that, too.”

“You’ve taught many mutts?” Link chuckled. Damian nodded with a knowing grin.

“A few,” he admitted. “I even taught Theo, actually. I don’t know if he told you, but he used to be part of our pack.” 

“He doesn’t talk much about your pack. In fact, he didn’t mentioned you guys at all before you showed up the other day. He doesn’t talk much about his past ever, really.” Link scrunched his face, thinking about this. He always trusted Rhett, and Rhett always seemed to trust Theo. Since he was the only other werewolf they even knew existed, aside from the one that turned the two internetainers, it often seemed that they had to trust him. He was all they had and they took him at his word. Now, knowing that there were others… it made him think. How much did they really know about this bartender? 

“Well, it’s not my place to talk about it, but let’s just say that Theo wasn’t one for following the rules. Up until now, Devon’s let him be, but it seems like things are just getting worse down here.”

“What does this Devon want with us? Rhett and me?”

“He’s our pack leader, and he’s in charge of several packs in the whole Northwest.” Damian pointed upwards for emphasis. “He just wants to make sure that everyone stays safe and follows the rules. You follow the rules, keep the werewolf secret a secret, and you guys won’t have no trouble. That’s all. Live and let live, as they say. Personally, I hope you two will have a more active role in the pack.”

Link was looking down at the empty glass in his hands, thinking about all the new information that was now rattling around in his head, when he heard another car pull up into the driveway. He looked out the front window in the dining room and saw the FJ cruiser pull up besides the truck. It was Rhett. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight, a serine, content smile that came from having his security blanket back with him once more. Damian saw the car as well but his smile was a bit more forced. Pushing his water aside, he got to his feet. Link followed suit and led the way to the front door to greet Rhett.

“I probably should get going,” Damian was saying.

“You don’t want to tell Rhett what you told me?”

“You can tell him just fine. It’s getting late and there’s another full moon tonight. I should be getting back. Have to get ready for the run tonight. You should come with us. See what living as a real werewolf is like.” They stopped at the door just as Rhett came in. He glanced at the two men before him, looking slightly confused at to why Damian was here. 

“Uh, hey um…”

“Damian,” Link reminded him.

“Damian.” Rhett offered his hand, mostly out of habit, and shook the visitor’s hand. “How’s it going?”

“Not bad,” Damian replied. “Just stopped by for a quick visit. I was just leaving.” He turned back to Link. “If you want to come, we turn at our place. Big brown house at the end of Pilot Road. Can’t miss it.” His eyes focused completely on Link as he said this, not even sparing a glance at Rhett, which didn’t go unnoticed.

“I’ll think about it,” was all Link could think of to say.

“Cool. See ya, then.” He gave a courteous nod to Rhett. “Rhett,” he said.

“Goodbye, Damian.”

Once the visitor had left, and was completely out of earshot, Rhett spoke to Link.

“What did he want?” he asked. “He invite you to a party or something?” Link rolled his eyes as he picked up the glasses and set them in the kitchen.

“He invited me to ‘run with the pack’, I believe. I’m not going,” he quickly added, seeing the look in Rhett’s eye. “I don't want to spend my moons with anyone but you. Besides-” He leaned against the kitchen counter to look up at his boyfriend- “until I learn to control my hybrid form I don’t think it would be safe to go anywhere while I’m changed.”

“Is that all he wanted?” Rhett didn’t want to be suspicious of what amounted to their werewolf neighbors, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t as friendly as they seemed. His earlier conversation with Theo didn’t help either.

“He offered to help me master the hybrid form.”

“You don’t need his help,” Rhett promised. “You’re doing fine on your own.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Link grumbled. “You already mastered yours. I’ve been a werewolf for just as long as you had been when _you_ learned.” He turned to look down at the sink, sighing at himself. “I’m sick of losing myself every month. I want… I want to remember. I want to be with you.” Rhett stepped up behind him, wrapping his arms around Link’s waist and nuzzling the side of his neck.

“You’ll get there. You have to be patient. In the meantime you _are_ with me. Even if you don’t remember, you are, and I’m with you.” He breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of his boyfriend, enjoying it like no human ever could. Link felt a little better, holding Rhett’s arms with his own and letting himself be held. After a moment, Rhett continued. “In the meantime, I think you should steer clear of Seth and his brothers. From what Theo’s told me, they are bad news.” Link frowned.

“You trust Theo?” he asked, softly. He felt Rhett pause, surprised.

“Of course I do. He’s been with me from almost the beginning.” Link turned in Rhett’s embrace, his arms held up between them but not pushing him away.

“I just wonder, what do we really know about him? I mean we’ve known him for like a year and I feel like we barely know him at all.”

“Did Damian say something?” Rhett asked, eyebrows furrowed.

“No, not really I just… Think about it. How did he become a werewolf? How does he know the Lowells? I think maybe we should learn more about the situation before we trust him with our lives.” Now it was Rhett’s turn to frown. He didn’t like Link questioning Theo’s loyalty, or trustworthiness. Theo was his friend, _their_ friend, and he trusted him implicitly. If he hadn’t, he probably wouldn’t have made it past his second moon.

“I trust him,” he stated with certainty. Link bit his lip, not entirely convinced. “You trust me, don’t you?”

“Of course. Without question.” Rhett held him closer.

“Then trust me on this. I have faith that Theo is our friend and that we can count on him. He hasn’t done us wrong and I know we can count on him.” Link nodded, but inside he still wasn’t sure. He _did_ trust Rhett. He always would, but Theo was still such a stranger to him. There was still so much they didn’t know.

Until he had all the pieces, Rhett was the _only_ person he trusted.


	6. Chapter 6

“Wood floors are easier to clean.” Link argued. Rhett nodded, feeling his position in this conversation quickly weakening. It was the last day of their week long vacation and they were headed out to breakfast to a different restaurant. They were hoping to avoid bumping into the Lowells if possible. While they drove the long road towards town, they were discussing what to do with the flooring, now that they had finished tearing up the old carpet.

“True,” Rhett admitted. “I just don't like cold floors, and you know how I like to walk around the house without socks on.” He liked to wear as little as possible in fact, when he was at home, and this small farmhouse was like a home away from home. He was planning on wearing very little whenever they stayed there.

“We can buy rugs, then. Nice, big, area ones.” It was a reasonable compromise, but Rhett still wasn’t convinced. He, as Link knew well enough, could be very stubborn once he set his mind on an issue. Still, he didn’t really want to argue and ruin the last day of their vacation.

“Maybe,” he shrugged, looking out the window. Link sighed quietly, a soft smile on his face. They could discuss it later, and the fact that they _would_ be talking about it later gave him a strange, light feeling in his heart. It was just so… domestic. So normal. He had hoped someday for the two of them to be having such discussions while working on their dream home together. While the old farmhouse was far from what he had dreamt of, it was still wonderful. At the very least, it could be practice for whatever future still lay ahead of them.

The house they currently lived in together the rest of the time had been Rhett’s solo estate for many years. After Link had been infected with whatever crazy virus that made him a werewolf, he moved in with his lifelong friend, mostly out of necessity. It was in the basement of Rhett’s house that they changed every month, Rhett having constructed a safe room for their wolf selves with the help of Theo. It was cheaper to own one house between them anyway and Link’s house didn't even come with a basement. Still, the decisions of decor and design had been chosen years ago when Rhett moved in, and short of doing a complete makeover, there wasn’t much that could be done to change that. There were many times when Link still felt like a visitor to the place, even though his boyfriend did his best to make him feel at home.

“You wanna help me pick out the bedroom wallpaper?” he joked. Rhett cocked an eyebrow at him before realizing the levity of the conversation. They were deciding on how to decorate the house they bought to stay at while they became werewolves three nights a month. A strangely common conversation about a definitely uncommon situation.

“As long as we can go shopping for throw pillows after,” Rhett asked, putting on a voice. “I can’t _possibly_ sleep in a bed without at least a dozen heart shaped pillows.”

“We’ll see.” Link held his straight face only until he met Rhett’s smirking grin. Then they both burst out in giggles. It was nice to know that despite the shared canine affliction, and their freshly altered relationship, there were somethings that would probably never change.

~ ~ ~

The restaurant, not much larger than their usual breakfast spot, was called the Night and Day Cafe. It was a very small mom and pop’s place, with a seating capacity of no more than probably thirty people. Rhett liked it because they had the largest pancakes he’d ever seen, each one the size of a dinner plate. They called it the ‘mancake’, which amused Rhett to no end.

“Yeah, I’m a _man_ , Link,” he quipped. “Manly men deserve manly sized pancakes.”

“Then manly men will get manly sized bellies,” Link retorted, sipping his second cup of coffee. Rhett leaned back and gazed down at his stomach, trying to picture his naked torso in his mind’s eye.

“I’ve actually lost a bunch of weight since the, uh… thing.” He patted his belly to emphasize his point. “Never gotten so fit without working out. I’ll never have to go to the gym again.”

“Like you went to the gym a lot before.” Rhett frowned and looked his friend up and down.

“I worked out.” He flexed his arm a few times to demonstrate.

“Occasionally,” Link added.

“Just because I didn’t do tae bo with you-”

“Hey, tae bo is a great way to work out. That Billy Blanks, man. He’ll get you working up a sweat.”

“I can make you work up a sweat,” Rhett said, speaking quite a bit softer. Link nearly spit out his coffee.

“Geez Rhett.” He glanced around, wiping his mouth. “Don’t talk like that in public. What’s wrong with you?”

“Oh come on, Link. There’s no one in here ‘cept us and the waitress, and she don’t care.”

“ _I_ care. We agreed not to tell anyone about… us.” In fact they’d had a very lengthy argument about the whole thing months ago. They decided it would make things too complicated, between being in a new relationship and Link freshly bitten. 

“Maybe I don’t _want_ to hide anymore. We have to hide so much from the real world. I don’t like hiding my feelings for you. I don’t want to lie to our friends or fans any longer. I just… I don’t think I can take it.” Link sighed. He understood the feeling completely, and really he couldn’t find any good reasons not to come out and at least tell the crew about them. Well, about the dating and living together part.

“I just don’t know if I’m ready-”

“How you boys doing?” Rhett and Link looked up to see the waitress, an older woman with curly hair and a kind face, standing next to their booth, a jug of coffee in her hand. He name tag read Darla. “More coffee for you, dear?”

“No, thank you, I’m good.”

“I’ll have some,” Rhett piped up with much more of a smile than his companion. He held up his half empty cup which the lady filled immediately.

“Here you go, sweetie. And uh, are you two together?” Link froze, but Rhett, without missing a beat, laid his fingers over his boyfriend’s nearby hand. He straightened up, sure and proud before answering.

“We are, actually.” The waitress blushed, slightly, and stifled a giggle.

“Well that’s nice, dear, but I was just wondering if I should put your breakfast on one tab or two.” Rhett’s face fell, embarrassed and a bit flustered. Link stepped in, but didn’t pull his hand away.

“One check will be fine,” he offered. As the waitress headed off to ring them up, Link gave Rhett a sly smirk. “You’re paying, by the way. I think you owe me one.” Still ashamed by his earlier behavior, Rhett didn’t have it in him to disagree.

Quietly he finished up his meal and was just setting down his now completely full mug as the waitress came back with the check. He was finding it hard to look her in the eye and kept his gaze down as he pulled out his wallet. Link tried not to look too smug as he watched Rhett’s discomfort.

“You boys look familiar. You live around here?” the waitress asked, trying to make conversation and release the tension. Unfortunately that just made the internetainers more nervous.

“Actually, uh-” Link began, but Darla interrupted and a look of recognition crossed her face.

“Oh, I know!” Rhett held his breath. “You’re those nice boys who bought the old Ackerman farm, up on route six.” The two men tried to not look too relieved and Rhett even managed a sincere smile.

“That would be us,” he confirmed. “Just bought the place a few weeks ago. Been fixing it up this weekend, actually.’

“That place used to be real nice. I remember playing in the fields as a little girl, though Farmer Ackerman didn’t know that.” Darla chuckled at the memory. “Oh it’s a fine place, lots of open space for little ones to run around.” She was still smiling as she went to run Rhett’s credit card, but neither Rhett nor Link could think of anything to say in response to that. Whether either of them had ever thought about children, they had never discussed it with each other.

It wasn’t until they were back in the car and driving to their quaint little home away from home for the last time this month, that Rhett brought up the subject himself.

“Do you…?” He _tried_ to bring it up, that is. “I mean, you want, uh, kids… right? We never really… talked… about it so I just wondered…” Link felt his mouth had gone a bit dry, and he licked his lips subconsciously.

Well,” he began, “I guess I just always thought I’d have them _some_ day. Didn’t you?” Rhett nodded. It was almost a staple of southern life. Grow up, get married, have kids. Of course he always wanted to do those things, either way, but then he hadn’t always been a werewolf.

“Sure, yeah. Little McLaughlin’s of my own? I thought it would be great, I just never…”

“Never what?”

“Well, being in love with you, and all… I wasn’t sure I’d ever have the opportunity.” Link moved his hand over to rest on Rhett’s leg, warm and comforting. He understood completely. “Do you think we ever will?”

“I… I don’t know, Rhett. If it was just us... the _normal_ us... I’d be fully onboard. We could adopt two, maybe even three and be one big happy family… but…”

“But?” Link sighed.

“It’s _different_ now. You know? We’re… well we’re… I don’t want to say we’re unfit parents but, as werewolves? Our lives don’t exactly make for a safe living environment for kids.” It was Rhett’s turn to sigh, but he nodded all the same. He was already worried about hurting someone, a friend, a family member… Link. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he ever hurt a child, let alone one of his own. It would destroy him.

“I guess you’re right.” Looking out the window, Rhett watched the roadside trees pass by, one after the other. He had been so certain this morning that things were slowly working themselves out. Link was getting better at maintaining his hybrid form, their work on the farmhouse was coming on nicely and their YouTube business was truly thriving. Now, as he slumped in the passenger side of their silver FJ cruiser, he realized that it just may be that something he always took for granted as being in his future, may never happen. 

He never realized just how much having children of his own really meant to him.

Link was feeling much the same way. Even though he was trying to be practical, telling Rhett it would be dangerous for them to adopt children, he too had wanted them for a long time now. A few boys and girls to share his name and raise with his spouse, whomever that would be. A family, a real one like he had never had himself, growing up, but when every few weeks he and Rhett basically turned into ferocious beasts, he couldn’t risk it. Neither of them could. It wasn’t safe... for anyone. Being a werewolf, in his book, meant kids were probably never going to be an option.

As the two of them walked into the farmhouse that they had called home for the past few days, it didn’t seem to be as warm as before, nor as inviting. Neither spoke a word, heading off in different directions of the house - Rhett to the kitchen and Link upstairs - both feeling like there was much to say. Both feeling like there was nothing left to say. The building was quiet, and as Link sat down in one of the unfurnished bedrooms, he thought it sounded much too peaceful. Suddenly, the pleasant serenity of calm and quiet held no satisfaction for him. Suddenly all he wanted was to hear the patter of tiny feet, and the giggles of innocent youth.


	7. Chapter 7

With the start of the new season of Good Mythical Morning, things seemed to get back to mostly normal. Rhett and Link didn’t talk much about what had happened during the break, mostly because they liked to keep their wolf lives separate from their human lives. Part of doing that was pretending their wolf lives didn't exist. It probably wasn’t healthy, but it helped keep their secret just that, a secret. It was hard enough hiding their relationship, another thing which they never discussed.

Well, they did somewhat. They talked about the little things: things to buy from the grocery store, what housework needed to be done, who clogged the sink again. This is not to say that their lives were like that of roommates. They still loved each other and every opportunity they got, when they were alone, they made sure to say it out loud. Too many years they had not been allowed to say it, or thought they weren’t allowed. Too many ‘I love yous’ had gone unsaid not to say them now. Even when words weren’t exchanged, they still showed one another how much they cared. A sweet kiss, a fleeting touch. A tender gaze across the room when they thought no one was looking. It was almost too corny, these grown men acting like teenagers in high school, but they were happy. For the most part they were very happy, and it showed.

What they didn’t talk about was the giant, proverbial elephant in the room. Link could feel it. A strange, gnawing feeling in the back of his mind. It had been there almost his entire life actually. The need that everyone has, whether they know it or not. The need to have a real family. Unlike Rhett, Link never really felt like he had a real family. Sure he had a mom and a dad, grandparents and such, but with his mom divorced twice he had pretty much grown up without a steady father figure. He had always hoped one day to build his own family, but now…

Rhett wasn’t exactly pleased with the situation himself either. He too had always wanted a family, but unlike Link it wasn’t because he hadn’t felt his own upbringing had been lacking. There was a fatherly instinct in him that made him want to have children, to raise them up good and proper, and hopefully raise them with someone he loved. While Link understood how dangerous it was trying such a thing now that neither of them was entirely human anymore, there was more to Rhett’s fear. Simply put, he didn’t trust himself.

Ever since he first realized what had happened to him, he’d been afraid. He was afraid of what he was becoming. There had been many a time when he couldn’t control his canine self, even during the light of day. The beast within was a force of nature and it could strike with tremendous ferocity. Before he had just been afraid to hurt someone… hurt Link… If he had ever even scratched Link without meaning to, he wouldn’t have been able to forgive himself, and before Link became a werewolf too, there were times he had come close to doing that... among other carnal things. 

Now that they were both werewolves, the danger of hurting Link lessened substantially, mostly because the shorter man was just as much of a beast to be reckoned with. Still, Rhett felt himself capable of hurting others, and the night he actually used his wolf self to kill someone… If he could do it once, he concluded, he was capable of doing it again, and he hated that fact. He never wanted to hurt anyone ever again and the risk of hurting his own child…. It was too much. No matter how much he wanted that family, no matter how much he knew Link needed it, he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t bring himself to bring a child into such a dangerous household. It just wasn’t safe.

But explaining that to Link? When the doe-eyed brunet could seem so fierce one second and fragile another? No. Rhett didn’t want to tell the love of his life ‘never’. Didn’t want to tell him that the family he desired more than anything else just couldn't be. That would break his heart, and that was a wound Rhett wasn’t ready to inflict. He wasn’t sure he would ever be ready to break that truth and so silence about the subject became the norm. There were other things to worry about at the moment anyway.

Even with the filming of Buddy System finally done, there was still work to be done. The break between seasons was practically nonexistent; the days they usually used to take time off, relax and recoup, had been filled with filming and work on the farm house. The lack of a reprieve didn’t seem to impact the show. They found ways after work to unwind and in general the stress didn’t get to them, but there were times when everything would hit them at once and it made them more irritable than normal.

“Watch out, Link!” Rhett shouted, grabbing onto the dashboard of the car with an iron grip. Link didn’t answer but swerved hard back into his lane. The driver in the lane beside them laid on the horn for a few seconds before hurrying past. Link honked right back at him shouting a curse at the stranger that only his friend could hear.

“What a jerk!” he commented, once he had finally managed to change lanes. “Can you believe the nerve of some people?”

“You need to watch where you’re going, man! You almost hit that guy!”

“No I didn’t! He almost hit _me!_ It’s clear as day!” Link huffed in annoyance, and Rhett shook his head. His boyfriend could be an inattentive driver on a good day, but he was being even more careless than usual.

“Just slow down a little. I mean we’d probably survive a car crash, but that doesn’t mean I want to be in one.”

“I’m going under the speed limit! I can’t even speed in this traffic.” He waved his hands derisively at the cars around them.

“You not paying attention. You need to look before you just cross over into someone else’s lane.”

“I wasn’t anywhere near to him. He overreacted.”

“You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you,” Rhett muttered. The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself, and he instantly regretted saying them. 

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” Link’s ire was quickly beginning to surge. Rhett slumped in his seat and sighed. 

“Nothing Link. I just want to get home in one piece.”

“If you don’t like the way I’m driving maybe you should take the wheel yourself once in awhile. Now that we live in the same house there’s no reason I have to drive us every day.”

“I don’t want to argue, I just-”

“I’m not arguing, I’m just having a conversation.” His angry tone disagreed with his simple statement. “You think you’re a better driver than maybe you should drive. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Maybe I should,” Rhett agreed, bitterly.

“Maybe you should,” Link mocked, going back to looking at the cars, trying to see if he could get around them. His friend dropped the subject. He really didn’t want to argue and he knew this was just Link letting off some steam. He just wished Link’s bad mood wasn’t putting their bodies at risk. Rhett was ready to spend the rest of the drive home in peaceful silence when he felt a slight buzz in his pocket. Taking out his phone, he was surprised to see a text from Theo.

_You busy fri?_

An odd message, to be sure, but then Rhett knew well enough that Theo didn’t like to say much in texts, or even over the phone. He was awfully old fashioned for a man of his few years- only a decade or so younger than the two YouTubers. Of course it wasn’t because he disliked fancy new technologies. It was a matter of security. He didn’t want to risk any important information that could potentially reveal his, or any werewolf’s nature to the rest of the world. It was safer to keep the details of their conversations spoken only in person.

“Who is it?” Link asked, not turning his gaze off the road. “If it’s Stevie tell her I’ll look at yesterday’s edit later.”

“It’s Theo.” The words were said simply, with no malice or worry, but still it gave Link pause. Over the last few weeks he’d been thinking about their shared friendship with the werewolf bartender. Wondering what his history was, how he knew the Lowells. He didn’t want to think ill of the man who had been very helpful to both him and Rhett in their times of need, but the lack of knowing was starting to get to him.

“What does he want?”

“Not sure.” Rhett thought for a moment before typing in a reply.

_Not terribly. What’s up?_

He didn’t expect a clear response, but he had to ask anyway.

_There’s some friends I want you to meet._

‘ _Someone to meet?_ ’ Rhett wondered. In all the time he’d known Theo, he’d never seen him talk to anyone but Max. Besides, if there was someone Theo wanted to introduce, it was certain to be more than a normal social event. Before he could answer, Rhett got another text.

_Come by the bar and we can talk more._

Locking his phone, Rhett slid it into his pocket. There wasn’t anything else to say. He would just have to wait to talk to Theo to find out more. Link shot him an impatient look.

“Well?”

“He didn’t say, exactly. You know, Theo…” Rhett offered his boyfriend a sympathetic smile, but Link shot him another glare.

“No, I don’t… and neither do you. Not really. I wish you could understand that.”

“How can you not trust him?” Rhett asked, frustrated. “After everything we’ve been through? After everything he’s done for us?”

“How can you so blindly trust _him?_ ” Link shot back. “We don’t know anything about his past, why he hates the Lowells, how he became a werewolf, how his brother died…”

“I’m not going to just up and ask him about his dead brother, Link. I’m sure he doesn’t want to talk about it for the same reason I wouldn’t want to talk about it if _my_ brother died. It’s probably a tough subject to think about.”

“Well, maybe. I just need to know more before I trust him as much as you do.” Sighing, Link pulled off onto the side street that led to their now shared home. He didn’t feel as angry as before, just exhausted, body and mind. “I’m going to go lay down for awhile. Do you want to order something for supper?”

“I think I should head over to Theo’s place. See what he wanted.” He didn’t need to ask if Link wanted to come along or not. He knew very well what the answer would be.

~ ~ ~

Of course, as Rhett walked into Theo’s office, the bartender’s first question was to ask where the second half of the famous duo was.

“He wasn't feeling a hundred percent,” Rhett explained. “Long day at the studio. What did you need to talk to us about?”

“Well, I said in the text I wanted you to meet some folks, you and Link. The Lowells aren't the only werewolves in the area.” These words sent a shiver down Rhett’s spine, but it wasn’t entirely fear he was feeling. That tingling sensation, when the Lowells had been hunting near the farmhouse, it was the same feeling. Something almost intangible and somehow Theo seemed to know he was feeling it, Rhett could see it in his eyes.

“Another pack?” he wondered. Theo raised a hand to calm him, lowering his head slightly as he replied.

“Not exactly. Mutts, like you but not like the one that turned you and Link. There’s no need to be alarmed or feel threatened.” he assured Rhett. “They’re just every day folks who don’t want to bother anyone, I promise.”

“How many? Have they been in California long? Are they newly turned? Why haven't you told me about them before?” Rhett hoped tossing handfuls of questions at Theo wasn’t going to become a habit.

“All good questions.” Theo paused to consider where to start. “Um, there’s about a dozen or so, that I’ve met, all of various moon ages. I’ve known about them for some time but I wasn’t hiding them from you I just… To be honest I haven’t talked much with them myself.”

“Then why-?”

“Why do I want you guys to meet?” Rhett nodded. “I think you all have a lot in common. Like you most of them were turned and had no idea, at first. They’ve had to deal with figuring things out mostly by themselves.”

“They didn’t have someone like you to teach them.” It was meant as a conclusion, but Theo looked slightly nervous at the implication.

“N-no, they didn’t.”

“What? What is it?

“Let’s just say the mutts and I have a bit of a... history.” Theo cleared his throat, settling back to speak of things he never enjoyed remembering. Rhett gave him time. He could tell this was difficult for his friend to do, and he was keen to hear what he was going to say.

“When I was a member of the Lowell pack I was a… uh, an enforcer, of sorts. My job was to find rogue mutts, like the one who attacked you and Link and… and deal with them.”

“How- how long did you do this?”

“Years. You have to understand I believed- I _still_ believe- that sometimes it’s necessary to deal with these problems. Sometimes people become werewolves and they just let their bestial nature control them, or they don’t do enough to make sure their canine selves don’t hurt people. These are serious problems and I had to fix them.”

“These mutts you want me to meet, did you-?”

“Let’s just say I built up a reputation among the packless wolves. But, recently, I’ve been trying to… mend bridges, you might say, and they’ve… expressed interest in you and your friend.”

“You think it’s a good idea?”

“I think you can’t live in this world of werewolves in a vacuum, and there’s much you can learn from these people that I can’t teach you. Besides,” he shrugged, “It makes everyone nervous that they don’t know _you._ ” 

“I guess that makes sense. What about the Lowells?”

~ ~ ~

Meanwhile, Link was resting peacefully in the bed that he and Rhett shared, thinking about the argument earlier and the things he wanted to say, things he wanted to apologize for. He jolted with surprise when he heard the phone ring. For a brief moment he thought it might be Rhett, or Theo checking in, but then he remembered he had a cell phone. The next, obvious conclusion was a telemarketer, so he reached for the phone ready to tell whomever it was to take them off their calling list. What he didn’t expect was a vaguely familiar voice.

“Is this Link?”

“Who is this?”

“Hey, Link! It’s Damian! Are you busy on Friday?”


	8. Chapter 8

Just like the full moon each month lasts three nights, the new moon also lasts three nights. It was the three nights in the month where the moon was seemingly gone from the night sky and during this phase that werewolves traditionally got together with other packs. This Friday was going to be the third night of a new moon, but Rhett and Link couldn't seem to agree where to spend it.

“Damian said a whole bunch of families from the pack are coming down just to meet us,” Link continued. “You can hang out with Theo any time.” Rhett growled to himself. He didn't like how obstinate his best friend was being. The man’s arguments were starting to fall apart on themselves.

“We’re not going just to ‘hang out’, Link!” Rhett countered. “We’re going to meet members of our community. The werewolf community here, in the city.”

“ _We_ are not going at all.” Link angrily dropped his laptop onto his desk before sitting down beside it. They were in their office upstairs, having just finished a long filming session in the studio. He felt irritated already from the workload, but Rhett’s attitude was seriously rubbing him the wrong way. “You can go if you want but I'm not going. I'm going to the Lowell’s cookout.”

“I don't like you going alone. I don't trust them.”

“But you trust Theo, a man you barely know. I know,” Link nodded, raising a hand to silence Rhett's objection. “I know he's help you- helped _us_ in the past. There's a lot I have to thank him for, but there's just… It seems like he's hiding so much from us. I don't get that sense from Seth and his brothers.”

“We know even less about them, and from what Theos told me, they are bad news.”

“ _He_ says. I'm sorry but I don't want to write the Lowells off just because Theo doesn't like them. I want to get to know them first, form my own opinion. You don't know, they could be perfectly nice.” Rhett couldn't fault his logic; he didn't like judging people just from hearsay, but it was more than just what Theo had said. He always got this weird vibe from them, whenever they were around. Especially from Seth. An unnerving sensation that made him want to stay away from the whole pack. Or, more accurately, Rhett wanted them to stay away from him. Him _and_ Link.

“Alright,” he yielded. “You go to this party of Seth’s or whatever. I'm going to go with Theo and meet the local mutts.”

“I don't need your _permission_ , Rhett.” With that, Link stormed out, shutting the office door a bit harder than he meant to. He didn’t like arguing with Rhett, but whenever the topic of the Lowells, Seth or his brothers came up, his boyfriend became… different. Link couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it irritated him nonetheless. Maybe he was trying to be protective, but he just came off as overbearing, or bullheaded.

One of the benefits of being a YouTuber, and in charge of your own business, was you got to set your own hours. With Stevie’s help, Rhett and Link managed to arrange their schedules so they didn’t work much Friday morning. By lunchtime, they were finished working for the day and were free to go about their private lives. For Rhett that meant waiting for Theo to come by in his truck and give him a ride to meet these new friends. Link, meanwhile, prepared to head off to his own werewolf get-together, changing clothes before heading out.

As he stood before their bedroom mirror, adjusting his hair one last time, his boyfriend watched on from the doorway. Rhett could never stay mad at Link forever and, just looking at him, he could feel his anger ebb. After a moment, Link felt those green eyes pouring over him, and he turned to meet their gaze. They shined with love as only they could hold. A love that he had only known through Rhett.

“You know I love you, right?” Rhett asked. Link nodded with a sigh. Of course he knew. It was something he could never forget.

“I know,” he replied softly. Rhett walked over to him and sheepishly grabbed Link’s hand. Link pulled him close and held him. He could never stay angry at Rhett either, it seemed. “I love you, too.”

“I just want you to be safe. This world of werewolves is.. It’s still new to me, even after all this time. I feel lost in a world of monsters that I never would have guessed existed.” Link nodded against his chest. “It’s my fault you’re part of it. It’s my fault you… you got…”

“It’s not your fault I’m here,” Link assured him, looking up at his face once more. “I chose to be part of your life years ago, decades, and I wouldn’t give up being part of your life for anything in the world. I’d rather be a werewolf by your side then a normal human alone.”

“I couldn’t do this without you,” Rhett murmured. “If anything ever happened to you-”

“It won’t.” Link gave a small chuckle. “It’s just a cookout.” He stood on his toes to give Rhett a swift kiss on the nose. “Promise me that you’ll stay safe. I nearly lost you to one rogue werewolf…” A sharp car horn outside interrupted his thought, and he let it fall away unfinished.

“I should go.” With a solemn nod, all trace of smile gone, Link pulled away. Thoughts of going with his boyfriend to meet Theo’s friends, as well as fleeting notions of the two of them just staying home, locked in the bedroom together for the night, ran through his head. He didn’t dwell on them long, however. He knew in his heart and mind that both meetings were important, and the two of them splitting up to meet both contacts was probably for the best. He just wished it didn’t have to be this way.

“Maybe tonight we could cuddle up in front of the TV. Just you me, a bucket of popcorn and a Netflix marathon.” Rhett wrapped his boyfriend up in a tight hug and for a moment he never wanted to let him go.

“Sounds perfect. It’s a date.”

~ ~ ~

It was a few hours journey over to Big Bear Lake, even farther out of town than the farmhouse. Along a winding road framed by tall pine trees, Link drove up to the front gate of the property. Unlike their own land, the Lowell's estate looked as impenetrable as a governor's mansion. There were giant brick walls topped with harsh barbed wire, a guard house at the gate and security cameras everywhere. A muscular man in a brown uniform stepped out in front of his car, holding his hand up, signaling Link to stop. Coming to a halt just beside him, Link hoped he hadn't come to the wrong place.

“This is private property, Sir,” the guard told him. “You’re going to have to turn around and leave.” He did not look friendly, but Link wasn’t going to be intimidated. 

“I was invited by Damian Lowell,” he explained, holding the guard’s gaze with his own intensity. 

“Name?”

“Link Neal.” Link wondered for a split second if he shouldn’t have introduced himself as Charles, which he usually did in professional situations, but that wasn’t the name Damian knew him by. There was a short pause, then the man stepped away, bringing a two-way radio up to his mouth.

“Link Neal at the gate,” he stated. There was a short crackle on the radio before a response came through.

“Let him in. We’re at the dock.” The voice didn’t sound familiar, but at least whomever it was seemed to be expecting Link. The guard, stepping back to the car, looking very unhappy as he leaned down. Well, even less happy than before.

“First turn on the right. Just follow the signs to the lake. No weapons, keep all electronics in your car. Is that understood?” Link just nodded, not sure what else to say. It seemed unnecessarily foreboding, but maybe that was the point. As much as this was to ensure no one uninvited was allowed onto the property, it seemed that anyone who had been invited was to be thoroughly impressed by the show of force upon entering. Link could tell, however, that it wasn’t just for show.

As he drove up to a small parking area, a few hundred yards away from the water’s edge, he saw what looked like a crowd of dozens of people. Not wolves, people. In fact, it looked just like any other family gathering he’d ever seen. Picnic tables were scattered about, with numerous people sitting at them, talking jubilantly. Nearby a large grill had been set up and was smoking away with a few men standing around it. Past that a volleyball net had been set up and two teams of folks were adamantly trying to play, albeit rather poorly; they didn’t seem to care but were having tons of fun. Closer to the water, a bunch of children were running about, playing in the sand and lightly crashing waves. Everyone appeared to be having a wonderful time, behaving as normal everyday people. 

Damian waved Link over as he headed towards the nearest picnic table. Seth spotted him too, lifting an open beer can in greeting, but staying over by the grill for the moment. Link waved back. It felt strange, like he was intruding on a family reunion he hadn’t been invited too, but he had, in fact. Other than Seth and Damian, he didn’t recognize anyone, but a few smiled at him as if they were already old friends.

“You made it!” Damian exclaimed, overly pleased at Link’s presence. “I wasn’t sure if you’d come.”

‘ _Me neither,_ ’ Link thought to himself. He shook Damian’s hand, firmly and offered his nicest smile.

“Looks like you guys started the party without me,” he joked. Damian laughed and nodded, looking over the gathered crowd. A few people were giving Link a good look over, but not in an unfriendly way. They seemed genuinely curious about him.

“Well, we got hungry,” Damian chuckled. “It’s not wise to keep a werewolf from his supper.” He motioned towards the grill. The smell of cooking hotdogs and hamburgers was wafting nicely through the air and smelled delicious. Link couldn’t help but begin to salivate with anticipation.

“You don’t have to tell me. Rhett can be quite ferocious when he hasn’t eaten.”

“Where _is_ Rhett?” Damian looked back to Link’s car, as if the man in question was somewhere hiding. “I was hoping you’d both come.” Before Link could reply, Seth approached them with a beer in each hand; one open one not.

“Good to see you, Link,” he greeted, offering the internetainer the unopened beer. Link took it, graciously, but hesitated to pop the top. “What do you think so far? Is this what you expected?”

“To be honest? I’m not sure what I expected.” Seth sad down across from him and sipped his own beer. Link fiddled with the tab on his own can. “I don’t think anyone would guess, looking out over this lot, that you were secretly a bunch of wolves.” At first Link thought he shouldn’t have said that, but then Seth let out a sharp laugh.

“You’d be surprised just how human we are, most of the time. Being a werewolf doesn’t make you a demon or a monster. It’s part of who we are, sure. A big part, but basically we’re just like everyone else.” He motioned towards the families around them. “We like a good cookout and beach party as much as the next family.”

“It’s not like the story books, is it?” Link noted, opening his beer. 

“No,” Seth agreed, with a kind smile. “No, it’s not.” 

It didn’t take long for Link to settle in and become comfortable around the pack. They all seemed pleased to meet him, friendly and welcoming. Pretty soon he was joking and telling stories, with Seth and the others, actually having a pretty good time. The food was great, and the lake-side view was amazing. He couldn’t wait to tell Rhett that he had worried for nothing.

After the meal was gone, and the adults sat down to let it digest, some of the kids decided to start a soccer game in the grass. Link watched them for awhile, finishing off his second beer, and tried to just take in the moment. Off to the side a few women were holding the younger children, one was just a baby in his mother’s arms. He couldn’t help but stare at the sight and it didn’t take long for the woman to notice.

“Do you have kids?” she asked, scooting closer. Link shook his head, trying to keep his face neutral, but his eyes told more than his mouth ever could. “Think you ever will?”

“Well, my uh… my partner and I… we’ve talked about it but…” The woman didn’t flinch or pull away, as he expected, but nodded. Her face shown his understanding and tolerance.

“Scared to care for a child as a werewolf daddy?” Link gave a short chuckle, slightly embarrassed by the truth this woman had managed to guess.

“Heh, yeah,” he admitted.

“I understand.” The woman shifted the baby in her arms to offer Link her hand. Link took it gently, glancing down at the child who didn’t look concerned in the slightest about the world around him. “I’m Carol.”

“Link.”

“Nice to meet you, Link.”

“So you’re, uh, a pureblood?”

“Yup. Been in the pack my whole life.” Carol looked down at her baby. “So has little Ethan here.” Ethan closed his eyes and rubbed his nose, sloppily.

“How, I mean, did you transform while pregnant, or…?”

“I did, hybrid form only of course, and he was just fine. Werewolves have been getting pregnant and having babies for thousands of years, just like people,” Carol explained. “It’s just as safe and just as dangerous as when a human woman does it.”

“Does the baby change too?”

“He feels the pull of the moon just like we all do, but he won’t fully transform until he’s older. At most he just gets very ornery during the moons.”

“It must have been hard, for you I mean.”

“I think it’s harder for women who don’t have a pack, like I do. You hear horror stories of mutts carrying babies and things getting messy, but here it’s different. The pack takes care of its own. I was well educated about the whole thing long before I even got pregnant, and now that he’s here, he has a huge family looking out for him.” She paused to look into her son’s eyes, her smile content and serene. “Raising baby werewolves can be challenging, compared to human kids, but it’s so worth it.” Carol looked up at Link now and it felt like she could read his soul. “Kids are so worth it.”

“Can I… Can I hold him?” Link asked, nervous.

“Sure.” Carefully, she passed Ethan to Link, and he took the baby in his arms, holding him gently. Carol showed him just how to hold the child, but it didn’t take much for him to get it right. “You’re a natural,” she commented.

“You think so?” Link couldn’t seem to tear his face away from the baby, the small child’s bright blue eyes looking up at him, wide and curious. He was so beautiful, and Link felt something inside him melt. “What do you think?” he cooed. Ethan burbled, then reached out a tiny hand towards Link’s glasses.

“He likes you.”

“Hey, buddy. You’re not afraid of the big, bad wolf, are ya? No, you’re not.” The tiny child didn’t seem to understand a word of Link’s softly spoken words, but Link didn’t care. He felt such a warmth in his heart, a strange fatherly instinct he didn’t know he had. He knew, of course, this wasn’t his child, but it could be. There was a tremendous joy in knowing that, if he wanted, he could really be a father. This could be him: daddy Link. Maybe having a family with Rhett wasn’t so far fetched an idea than he had thought.


	9. Chapter 9

Theo drove Rhett and himself deep into the Sequoia National Forest, over three hours North of Los Angeles. Once they left the main road in favor of less-marked trails, the taller man tried to keep track of every turn. Tried, but the dirt path broke up again and again, each turn looking just like the last. A right, a left, two more rights then a sharp curve almost backtracking to where they began. It was impossible to keep up, but surely that was the point. Werewolves easily found were more easily killed and, like any werewolves, the mutts wanted to stay hidden and alive. 

Eventually the trail faded away completely, and Rhett was sure they were driving where no car was meant to go. Only when they finally came upon a few other cars did he realize that they had arrived at last. There was no sign of a welcome party, but maybe it was too much to expect one.

“They’re still in a-ways,” Theo noted, as if reading Rhett’s thoughts. “Not too far, but we’ll have to walk the rest of the way. Leave your cellphone.” Those last words, spoken just as Rhett was getting out the car, gave him pause. He didn’t like being without his phone, and not just because he was used to being connected to the internet 24/7. He wanted to have it close by should Link need anything and for a moment, he hesitated to comply. “No phones,” Theo insisted, throwing his own cell onto the driver’s seat. “It keeps people from recording the meetings.” With a heavy sigh, Rhett removed his phone from his back pocket and dropped it on the seat. He hoped he would not need it. He hoped Link wouldn’t call and be despaired at the lack of answer. 

Walking a few hundred yards away from the parking area, Rhett started to see something emerge in the dense forest of sequoia trees. The smell of burning wood met his nose only a few minutes before he actually saw the small campfire and the small gathering of tents set up around it. Some people were standing nearby, looking like folks going to a funeral from their solemn expressions. As he and Theo got closer, one of them looked up and Theo raised a hand in greeting.

The man, tall enough to give Rhett a run for his money, had broad shoulders and about three days growth worth of beard. His dark blond hair hung down just past his ears and his blue eyes had an almost ferocious intensity. With his tan field jacket and blue jeans, he looked like all he needed was a shotgun and he’d be set for hunting. Although, it was probably a sure thing he didn’t really need a gun to hunt when he wanted to.

“Alistair,” Theo greeted. Rhett noticed the bartender didn’t offer his hand, so he held his own back as well. It felt strange, but he assumed there were different customs in the werewolf world, and he didn’t want to offend anyone from the get go. “This is Rhett.”

“Hi,” Rhett said with a nod. He felt that same, tingling sensation down his back as Alistair looked him over. The same uncomfortable feeling that he got when Seth was around. He tried not to look intimidated, but even though the man was just a few inches shorter than him, he did appear quite built. Rhett would not want to get into a fist fight with this man, werewolf or no. 

“Where’s the other one?” Alistair asked, turning to Theo.

“Does it matter?” Theo replied. Rhett was very grateful he didn’t have to explain Link’s lack of appearance. Maybe Theo was right, though. Maybe it wasn’t important to say why. Alistair seemed to agree and stepped back to introduce the two other people standing near the fire.

“This is Nathan-” he motioned towards a scrawny man with pale skin- “and that’s Kendra.” The woman gave a brief nod, keeping her dark gaze focused on Rhett like a laser beam. They were both dressed like people out to go camping. Rhett wondered if it was to keep up appearances, should anyone uninvited stumble upon the site. Theo gave each of them his own nod, in greeting, then turned back to Alistair.

“I was expecting more. Where is everyone else?”

“No one else wanted to talk to you,” Alistair explained. “You should be grateful anyone showed up at all, after what happened.” He turned to Rhett. “You do know why they most mutts hate him, right?”

“He said he used to be an enforcer for Seth’s pack,” Rhett recalled. Nathan scoffed and pointed a skinny finger at Theo.

“He’s a murderer, is what he is,” he growled. “Do you even know how many people you killed? Can you even count that high?” Kendra grabbed Nathan’s shoulder and held him back, but she looked equally angry at Rhett’s simplification.

“He’s just the knife; Seth’s lap dog. It’s not him we want.” Rhett could feel the anger radiating in the man beside him, and see the veins in his neck pulse. He had never seen Theo get so worked up before, and he wasn’t sure if he should intervene or let it play out. 

“Those mutts were dangerous,” he began, his voice on the edge of shouting. “We had to do something!”

“You killed them in cold blood!” Nathan yelled.

“They killed my _brother!_ ” Rhett felt exposed, like he was about to witness a bar fight, and he wasn’t sure if he was on the right side. Luckily, Alistair stepped between Theo and Nathan, his hands held out trying to keep them apart. 

“Stop it! There’s bad blood on both sides. We’re not here to talk about that.” Nathan still looked like he wanted to fight, like a junkyard dog on a chain, but Theo stepped back. He ran his hands through his curly hair and turned away from the others, collecting himself before coming back. “We can’t start this again, not now.” Alistair looked down at Nathan, giving him a look and finally, the scrawny man backed away.

“I’m sorry,” Theo muttered, not looking up at anyone. “I didn’t come here to fight.” Alistair nodded. His expression was like steel, yet there was understanding in his eyes.

“I know. Why don’t you tell us why you called this treaty?” With a sigh, Theo walked around to stand before the campfire. Nathan and Kendra stepped carefully to the other side and Alistair took his place between them. Rhett, feeling a bit awkward, stood next to Theo, waiting patiently to find out what his part in all of this was. He had been told, earlier, a bit about what this meeting was, at least in tradition. A new moon treaty was a gathering of werewolves from different packs. It was during these meetings that peace could be brokered, or lines of territory debated. Theo told him they rarely happened these days, mostly because the number of packs had dwindled in the past few centuries.

“I know I’m probably the last person you’d want to think of as an ally,” Theo started. “I’ve done many things in the past I regret, and for those things many of you and your kin hate me. I don’t blame you or them.” He gave a look for Nathan and Kendra, his face soft and his eyes filled with remorse. “I did what I thought was best for our kind.” At this, Nathan mumbled something obscene under his breath, but Alistair shot him another look, and he just shook his head.

“I was wrong, okay?” Theo continued. “I fucked up, and I’m sorry. I came here because… because I want to make things right. I want to help you, whether you believe it or not.”

“There are many who wouldn’t want your help,” Alistair stated, “even if you have the best intentions, but I think we could really use it. I think there has been too much blood shed, on both sides, and if we can avoid more, I’m all for it.” He looked over at the two mutts beside them and, after a moment, they nodded in agreement. Nathan didn’t looked pleased in the slightest, but he couldn’t deny the wisdom in his colleague's words.

“That’s good to hear.” Theo cleared his throat a bit, glanced at Rhett, then turned back to the others. “Now, as I’m sure you’re all aware, Seth Lowell has come down with his brothers on Devon’s orders. He says he’s worried about the ‘mutt problem’.” Nathan twitched a bit at the term, but said nothing. “Having worked with them for years, I know what he’ll want to do to fix this problem. His brother Caleb has already talked to me on numerous occasions. He wanted to know where I was hiding the rogue wolves.”

“What did you tell him?” Kendra demanded.

“I didn’t tell him anything. I don’t know where you all are, and even if I did I wouldn’t say. He thought I was in contact with you, hiding you from the pack or some shit. Hell, I didn’t know anything about you guys until Alistair contacted me, later.” At this, the woman shot a glare at Alistair, who Rhett now saw as more than just another werewolf. Apparently, he had some sort of leadership role among the mutts.

‘ _Maybe he’s their pack leader,_ ’ he wondered.

“You knew about Seth?” Kendra accused, while Rhett was in his own thoughts. 

“I knew he was in town, yeah,” Alistair admitted, “but not why. I should have guessed.”

“Yes, you should have,” Nathan barked. “Of course they’re here for us. They want us all to join the pack or die.” Rhett looked to Theo. Surely, that couldn’t be true. Maybe they would be willing to kill one mutt who was hurting people, but a whole group of them? Were these mutts really that much of a threat?

“What about him?” Nathan pointed at Rhett, his dirty hand shaking slightly as he did so. “Why is the pup here?”

“Because he’s like you. Because Seth wants to recruit him against you. Because…” Theo tried to read Rhett’s face, his voice faltering for a moment. After a split second he threw caution to the wind and finished his thought. “... he’s my friend.” Rhett could feel his uncertainty, and he knew the reason for it. Sure they had known each other for months, and had been through a lot, but so much had been brought to light just in the past few minutes… Was he really willing to still call Theo a friend? 

Maybe Link was right. Maybe Theo was not to be trusted. His dark past was even darker than either man had believed, with blood on his hands from what seemed to be more than a few innocent souls. It could be that he was no more than a hit man, a cold stone killer, and not the kind-hearted man they had been led to believe. As Rhett looked into the man’s face, his doubt dissolved almost immediately. No. Theo was his friend, even with his past. Obviously he had done things that no man should be asked to do, but so had Rhett. There was more to his actions than the mindless hatred of a murderer. Those things, awful though they were, he had done because he thought it was the right thing to do. Because he had been told it was the right thing to do. Everything was all there, in his eyes.

Rhett didn’t have to say a word. With just a simple nod, he confirmed Theo’s words and friendship. Whatever was to come, he wanted to help if he could. He just didn’t know how.

“What are we talking here, anyway?” Rhett glanced at the others before looking back at Theo. “Going to war with the Lowells? I killed once. I… I don’t think I can do it again.”

“Rhett…”

“Is Seth really that dangerous?” he asked. He hoped not. He prayed not.

“He can be. By himself he’s just another wolf, but like real wolves, they become more dangerous in a pack. It’s really just him and his brothers. When the three of them hunt together, they can be a force to be reckoned with. The rest of the pack is innocent, I have to believe that.”

“So,” Nathan perked up. “We take them out and the pack will leave us alone?”

“It can’t be that easy,” Alistair contended. “I’m sure if we kill three of his pack, Devon would rain down a world of hurt on all of us. There has to be another way.”

“That’s my hope,” Theo agreed.

“Maybe we can talk to him,” Rhett suggested. “There has to be some sort of-”

“I _did_ talk to him,” the bartender interrupted. “I’ve talked to him for years, and I talked to him at length when he barged into my bar a few weeks ago. He doesn’t believe free ranged mutts have any rights. He sees them… you… us…” Theo sighed. “If he had his way we would all be put down.”

“Or join his pack,” Kendra added. “As far as Seth believes, it’s join us or die.” Rhett shook his head.

“That’s a little over dramatic, don’t you think?” 

“It’s a crude way to put it,” Theo admitted, “but she’s basically right. Here’s the thing: deep down I understand the reasons behind it. There needs to be order, there need to be rules. As part of the pack, you have to follow those rules. Seth, Devon, all of them in charge of the pack… they don’t see mutts as following their rules. If we don’t follow the pack rules, we’re a liability. Now, I know Devon. He’s not like Seth. He’s much more willing to live and let live, but Seth’s got his ear, always has. If Seth tells him that the only solution to the ‘mutt problem’ is to kill us all…”

“What about me and Link?” Rhett felt his throat grow very tight at the thought of anyone hurting his dearest love. “What if we tell Seth we just want to be left alone?”

“He won’t take it well.”

“He wouldn’t…?” Theo didn’t answer but his face said it all. “What would he do? He wouldn’t hurt him, would he?”

“He doesn't like to get his hands dirty,” Kendra interjected. “He’ll probably make Caleb do it. He's been the pack hitman since Theo left. That man has no conscience. Last mutt he was ordered to kill, he flayed him like a fish.”

“We’re here to keep that from happening, Rhett,” Theo assured his friend. “and Link knows better than to-”

“He’s at their cookout. At their house.” At these words, everyone fell silent. It was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. 

“In the belly of the beast,” Nathan quoted. Rhett felt faint. For a moment the world seemed to be spinning around him.

“But… he- he’ll be fine? Right? I mean, he can handle himself…” 

“He’ll probably lock him in his dungeon,” the pale man sneered, “and starve him first.” 

“Shut up, Nathan!” Theo shouted. 

“Theo,” Rhett begged. “It can’t be true…” His friend turned his full body to face Rhett, his expression cold as stone.

“Do you know why these meetings are called new moon treaties?” Rhett shook his head no. “Our ancestors chose to gather during the new moons because that’s when we’re weakest, mutts doubly so. That’s why Alistair and I chose to meet now, as as sign of peace. It’s no coincidence Seth chose to bring Link to his house at the same time. He knew this is when mutts are at our most vulnerable. Rhett-” Theo didn’t have to continue; his friend was already moving. Rhett’s only thoughts now where to get back to Link. He had to make sure he was alright. “Rhett!”

Tearing the car door open, Rhett snatched up his phone and immediately dialed Link’s number. No answer. He called again. Nothing. Why wouldn't Link answer? He dialed once more. 

‘ _Please, Link. Just… just pick up._ ’ Meanwhile, Theo came up behind him, looking very concerned.

“Rhett, calm down.” Rhett turned and grabbed Theo’s collar in one fluid motion.

“He’s got Link,” he snarled. “If he hurts Link…” Theo raised his arms defensively.

“Whoa, hey, I’m on your side, remember? Let me give you a ride, huh?” Panting, Rhett let his friend go. He was too worried to feel guilt over his actions. He couldn’t think straight at all. As Alistair and his friends watched, Theo got into the driver’s side, and Rhett into the other. There was no need for explanation; they understood. 

“He better not hurt Link,” Rhett mumbled, mostly to himself, as they drove back down the road.

“I know, Rhett. I know. I won’t let him.” Theo glanced at his friend, a man he never expected to look up to when he first saw him naked and wrapped in a blanket before him last year. Never expected to feel just respect and admiration for this man, but then, no one since Max had shown him such understanding, such tolerance. After everything he’d done, Rhett still wanted to be his friend. It was not something to be taken lightly. “If it’s within my power, I won’t let him lay a hand on Link. You have my word, my friend.” Not just his friend. His alpha.


	10. Chapter 10

Rhett felt like he went through all the stages of grief during the five hours it took to get from Sequoia National Forest to the Lowell’s place on Big Lake. For a long while Theo tried to convinced him everything would be fine, but there was too much doubt in his voice to be comforting. When finally there were no more words to say, no more consultation to give, he fell silent. He knew there was nothing he could do to assay Rhett’s fear. All he could do was drive as fast as he could towards the lake house and hope that Link would be alright until then. Rhett, meanwhile, tried to keep calm, remind himself that his boyfriend was perfectly capable of handing himself. He was smart, clever, and, when the need arose, very strong. Still, he was alone, and up against far more experienced werewolves. The thought of him being hurt… it was driving Rhett up the wall. 

As they neared the Lowell property, Rhett’s fear and anguish began to fade away, replaced by something else. While part of him still blamed himself for letting his best friend and love go to this event unprotected, he knew that it probably had been Seth’s plan all along. It was really _his_ fault that Link was there, and it was he that would have to answer to Rhett’s wrath. In fact, the more Rhett thought about it, the more enraged he became. 

By the time they reached the Lowell’s estate, he was practically seeing red. Pulling up to the gate, Theo had to remind him to keep calm; the guard wouldn’t let them in if he was foaming at the mouth.

“Just let me handle this,” he whispered. Rhett took a deep breath and tried to keep his face as neutral as possible. Failing that, he turned to look out the window, keeping his face away from the guard as they came to a stop. Theo didn’t even wait for the man in the uniform to speak before he told them who he was.

“You’re not expected,” the guard said. 

“Is Rhett McLaughlin?” Theo countered. After a brief hesitation, the guard stepped back to speak into his radio. When he returned he looked sternly into Theo’s eyes. 

“You’re free to head to the lake. If you wander anywhere else, or if there’s trouble, you will be removed from the premises. Understood?”

“Understood.” 

“Head on in, sir.” With that, the gate was open, and the two men were allowed to drive on through. As they sped off towards the lake, Theo glanced at Rhett. So close to their destination, he wasn’t sure what his friend would do. He’d never seen him so mad before. Even as a werewolf, Rhett had always shown himself to be a gentle soul. The beastial nature of his canine side never made him cruel or uncaring as it had so many others. Of course, no one had ever come between him and Link before. No one, except for the mutt that had brought them into this darker world, and he paid the price for his mistake with his life.

It was late, well past sunset, and the gathering was winding down. A small bonfire burned in the sand by the docks. Several men and women were gathered around, talking and laughing among themselves. The children had all gone to bed, their parents gone too, leaving a only this small group left. Seth was there, with his brothers Damian and Caleb. Link was there too, smiling broadly as he regaled listeners of past adventures on the set of Good Mythical Morning. He seemed to be having a great time, and quite the life of the party, but Rhett saw nothing of his boyfriend’s happiness as he approached the group. Nothing but his blinding rage as he headed straight for source of his hatred: Seth himself.

“Rhett?” Link was surprised to see the man coming towards them and at first didn’t notice his expression. As his friend came closer into the light, Link saw the face he loved twisted as it had never been before, in rage and fury. Hades itself was blazing in those eyes as he stomped forward. Link’s smile fell away and he felt a strange sensation rising in his chest. Something he had not felt since that fateful night this man had confessed his affliction and Link had realized what his best friend could become. He felt terrified of Rhett. “What are you doing here?” he managed.

“You’re leaving,” Rhett stated, his voice low and rough. It wasn’t a suggestion. His eyes didn’t even look at Link as he spoke, but stared into Seth’s face, glaring and accusing. Most of the crowd stepped back, knowing well enough to steer clear of this stranger, to not come between the hunter and his prey. Only three men stood their ground: Seth, Damian and Caleb. They didn’t cower, or flee. It was like they had expected this conflict. Caleb almost looked as if he welcomed it.

“Rhett,” Seth began, holding back his brother with his arm. “I didn’t expect-” Rhett’s fist moved so fast there was a sickening crack before anyone could blink. Blood poured from Seth’s nose and he stepped back, more surprised than in pain.

“You don’t _touch_ him, you hear me?!” Rhett warned. “He is _mine_ and you will stay away from him, understand?!” Link jumped to his feet, placing his hands on Rhett’s chest to hold him back and keep him from hitting Seth again. 

“What are you doing, man?” he demanded. “What’s wrong with you?” Meanwhile Seth was cleaning the blood from his face as best he could. His nose might have been broken, but it was healing quickly thanks to the werewolf in him. Damian and Caleb took defensive positions beside him, ready to attack at his command.

“This _fuck_ was going to hurt you.” Link flinched Rhett’s use of profanity. He’d never heard Rhett swear so violently out of hatred before. 

“What are you talking about? Seth’s done nothing to me.” Looking over the man he’d known for over three decades, Link wasn’t sure who stood before him. This was not someone he recognized, and that frightened him more than anything. “He and his family have shown me nothing but kindness and hospitality. It's you that’s hurting people.” Rhett finally looked down at Link, as if seeing him for the first time. 

The almost crazed anger in his face melted at the sight of fear in Link’s eyes. It was the same fear he’d seen the night Link found out what he was. It was a fear that Rhett had never wanted to see again. He loved Link, more than anything, and he never wanted to hurt him. The sight of his love scared that he might… Rhett couldn’t bear it. He reached out, tentatively. 

“Link, I-” he began, but Link kept back. He was mad too, now. Mad at Rhett for losing his temper, for barging in and making a scene. He didn’t like this side of Rhett.

“No, Rhett!” Link shouted. “I’m sick of this! I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately, but I can’t take it anymore! You don’t want me coming here, then you come here, attack Seth, and what? You’re _claiming_ me now? Like I’m _property?_ Are you _serious?!_ ”

“But he could have… I just wanted to…” Rhett’s bloodlust gone, he found it hard to defend his actions and the words to explain himself evaporated like mist, leaving him stumbling for solid ground. Link, meanwhile, found footing in his own indignation.

“It’s like I don’t even know you anymore,” he finished. Theo, who until this point had been waiting quietly, watching the scene unfold now stepped forward. He had been ready for Seth’s counter attack, or for the man’s men to jump them both, but when it never came he felt at a loss. Now, with Link yelling, he was compelled to come to Rhett’s defense, at least in a verbal sense.

“He is your alpha,” he declared, in a quiet but firm voice. “And you will show him respect.” Link now turned his scorn onto Theo.

“My _alpha?_ Rhett is not my alpha. He is my friend and my-” He stopped short of revealing the nature of their relationship, mostly as a reflex, but then he looked once more into the eyes of the man he loved. “Well, maybe we aren’t anything. Maybe this was a mistake.” Tears welled in his eyes, but he held them back as he walked past Theo and Rhett towards his car. He couldn’t bare to look at either of them. Couldn’t look into the face of the man he thought he knew. It was all too much just then, and he needed to be away, by himself. Rhett let him go. There were still three very angry purebloods standing not five feet away, staring him down.

“These are the mutts you spoke so highly of, Theo?” Seth was saying. “This is your new pack? If this is who you're throwing your lot in with these days, then your judgement is severely lacking.” He glanced at Rhett, and for a moment there was a hint of hatred in his eye, but it was small and fleeting, like his facade of control had slipped for a moment and then it was back. “You broke the rules of the treaty; no violence at meetings against those attending. I’ll let it slide _this time._ ” Turning back to Theo he added “I think you should get your house in order before I have to take matters into my own hands. Next time... I won’t be as forgiving.”

As Seth and his brothers walked back towards the house, Rhett couldn’t help but lower his head in shame. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d let his anger control him like that. Whatever peace the mutts were hoping to broker with the northern packs might never happen now. Worse yet, Link was furious with him. He couldn’t bare it if Link left for good. Link was his whole world and he wasn’t sure his heart could take losing him.

“Let’s go,” Theo said, and together the two of them walked back to the brown bronco. Link’s car was already gone, but where he went, Rhett couldn’t be sure. He’d never had Link so mad at him before; he couldn’t recall ever making him that mad, but he definitely felt like he deserved it. 

“What have I done?” he whispered, sliding into the passenger seat of the truck. He wasn’t really looking for a response, but Theo gave him one anyway.

“You asserted your dominance,” he said simply. “You showed Seth that if he pushed your buttons enough you wouldn’t just roll over, you’d fight back.”

“I don’t want to ‘fight back’,” Rhett protested. “That’s not me; I hate confrontation.”

“Sometimes you have to. That’s part of being alpha.” 

“When did I become alpha? I never said I wanted to be in charge. You’re the experienced wolf here, not me.” Theo let out a slow breath of air, looking at his friend with understanding and a little bit of apology.

“You didn’t have to, it was instinct. Instinct will make people follow you. Instinct will help you lead them. I may be older in wolf years, but I’ve never been a leader. I’ve always followed. I followed Devin. I followed Seth... Now I follow you.”

“But Link-”

“You may be a natural born leader, but he’s not a natural born follower, like me.” Theo shrugged. “He doesn’t like to be commanded or controlled. I know how much you care for him but… well, you might have to bring him in line for the good of the pack.”

“Good of the pack?” Rhett was appalled at the suggestion. “Bring him in-... Theo, this is _Link_ we’re talking about. My friend, my best friend, not some thug or something. I’m not going to bring him to heel like some dog. I don’t care if you do think I’m alpha, I’m not going to treat him like that.”

“I don’t make the rules, Rhett. Mother nature does. Just like real wolves there’s a natural order that we werewolves have to obey. It’s in our blood, in your blood. It calls us to gather, to form packs, and in that pack there can only be one alpha. If you don’t want to be alpha, I’ll respect that choice, but I don’t think you’re instincts will let you be anything else.”

Rhett didn’t know what to say to that. He wanted to disagree, to tell Theo he wasn’t about to take such a position, but looking back at his actions tonight, he knew there was more to being alpha than choice. When the time came to be calm and collected, something inside him took over. Whatever that something was, instinct or not, he did not like what it had turned him into. He did not like what he was capable of becoming.


	11. Chapter 11

Rhett couldn’t be sure exactly where Link had gone. He hoped the man had just gone home, to their house in Burbank, but he wasn’t holding his breath. The two hour drive back to L.A. seemed like an eternity and Rhett spent all of it kicking himself over what he had done. There was no sign of Link’s car as Rhett and Theo pulled into the driveway. The lights were all out and the sight made Rhett’s heart plummet. 

“I’m sure he’s okay,” Theo assured him. Instead of answering, Rhett pulled out his phone and started to dial Link’s number for the umpteenth time. He hung up even before the first ring. He’d already left so many messages. What more could he say? How else could he apologize? What could he possibly say that would make everything better? He didn’t know. Finally, he decided to text Link instead, his trembling fingers taking forever to type out a few short words.

_Where are you?_ He sat in Theo’s truck, leg shaking from nerves, as he waited anxiously for a reply. When it came, it only brought small comfort with it.

_Safe. I just want to be alone for awhile._ Rhett bit his lip, looking up into the night sky slightly begging that everything would work out. He needed Link to be okay. He needed him to be fine, and more than anything, he needed him to forgive. 

“What can I do?” Theo asked, softly. He felt a little lost, unsure how to help his friend with this problem. This wasn’t something he knew how to solve. Unlike the land of werewolves, love wasn’t a world he was particularly familiar with. Rhett shook his head as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

“Nothing,” he sighed. “I have to handle this on my own.” As he climbed out of the bronco, he gave Theo one last look. ‘ _I’ll be fine,_ ’ it said. ‘ _It’s not your fault._ ’

“Call me when you hear from him.” After Rhett watched Theo drive off and out of sight, he went inside. Stumbling to the couch, he tried to to calm his nerves. He was exhausted, but he knew he wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight. 

Meanwhile, Link was just stepping into the farmhouse the two of them had finally finished renovating a few weeks back. The home away from home was modestly decorated now, with dark woods and warm fabrics. A brown, leather couch sat in front of the grey stone brick fireplace, the centerpiece of the main floor living room. Link took off his glasses, gently placed them on the coffee table, then flopped down on top of the couch, physically and emotionally drained. He was still mad at Rhett, but his fatigue was making it hard to feel anything right now. Deep down he knew he would probably forgive his best friend for what had happened this night. Tomorrow they would talk and things would be alright. Yet when he thought back to the events of the evening, he couldn’t get the look of Rhett’s face, enraged in the firelight, out of his mind. 

It haunted his dreams that night.

~ ~ ~

The next morning Link rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and turned to look for Rhett, who normally slept on his right. When the man he loved wasn’t there, Link had to take a moment to recall why he was alone. He wasn’t even in a bed but was the couch he’d laid down on last night. Sitting up and putting on his glasses he looked around. It was still early and the morning sun was shining gently through the curtains. If his boyfriend would have been beside him, Link might have been inclined to feel content. As it was, he felt alone and empty.

Then he remembered last night.

Taking out his phone from his pocket, he saw the notice of at least a dozen missed calls. He’d also received more than twice that many text messages and all of them were from Rhett. Link hadn’t meant to spend the night here. He just wanted to rest awhile, but sleep came far too easily and before he knew it, it had taken him away. Unlocking the phone, he skimmed through the texts. Despite the lingering resentment from last night, he couldn’t help but feel guilty at worrying his best friend and love so badly. Quickly he called him back.

“Link!” Rhett’s voice was groggy, but alert, and filled with a range of emotions. Mainly he was relieved to hear from Link, and Link could hear it clearly. “Where are you? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Link assured him. “I’m at the farm house. I- I fell asleep, I’m sorry…”

“No, I’m sorry, Link. I love you. I shouldn’t have freaked out last night. Please…. Please come home, Link. I… I don’t know what I’d do without you.” While Link was glad to hear Rhett apologize and beg him to come home, he wasn’t quite ready to forgive. He wasn’t quite ready to go home and talk about what had happened. It would leave to a much deeper conversation that could change their whole relationship. He just wasn’t ready. Not yet.

“I think I’ll stay here a bit longer, I… I’m fine I just need some more time.” There was a silent pause while Rhett took this in. He couldn’t leave it be, not until he was certain Link forgave him. Not until he was certain Link still loved him.

‘Can… Can I come up there? See you?” Link considered the idea before sighing quietly.

“Sure. Just you though.” He didn’t really feel like seeing Theo, or anyone else really. Still, he did want to see Rhett. He couldn’t deny how much he missed him, or how much he loved him. Maybe after the hours it took Rhett to drive up he would be ready to talk. Maybe here it would be easier.

“Good, I’ll see you soon, then. I love you.” Those last words, added softly, were more than a statement. They were a request. Rhett needed to hear Link say it back, and he knew it.

“I love you, too.” Of course he did. He always did. He always would. Link could almost see the relief on Rhett’s face, and he smiled sadly to himself. It had been a long time since he felt like his love for Rhett was more of a burden than a blessing.

~ ~ ~

Link tried to keep his mind busy while he waited for Rhett to arrive by dusting around the house. He found there was nothing like a bit of cleaning to relax a stressed mind. It gave him a sense of control and he didn’t feel much in control of his life these days.

He had lost track of time, clearing the cobwebs near the ceiling and the dust bunnies under the furniture. He didn’t notice the car pulling up the driveway and almost jumped when he heard a loud knocking on the front door. Wondering why Rhett didn’t just come in, Link figured he either forgot his key or, more likely, he wanted to have Link let him in to show him it was his choice, not Rhett’s. 

Opening the door, he fully expected to see a six foot seven man with tall, dirty blond hair and a beard standing before him, hunched slightly over and lips pouting as they always did when Rhett was apologizing. His heart fell when he saw the face of Damian Lowell instead. The shorter man ignored Link’s fallen expression and smiled up at him.

“Hey, Link,” he greeted. His voice was kind but condescending, the same voice people use when talking to someone whose relative just died. “How’re you doing?”

“Fine, uh, what are you doing here?”

“Came to check up on you. Wanted to make sure you were alright, after last night.” Link glanced behind Damian, wondering if Rhett was driving up the road. He had to be arriving soon. When he saw no sign of his boyfriend, Kink tried not to look too disappointed.

“How did you know I’d be here?” he asked, curious and slightly concerned. Damian shrugged nonchalantly. 

“Just hoped. It’s the only place I knew of that you might have been. Do you want me to leave?” Link sighed and stepped back. He didn’t want to be rude and Damian had been nothing but nice to him.

“Nah, come in. I wanted to apologize to you and your family for what happened.” He led Damian into the living room and the two them sat across from one another; Link on the couch and Damian on the nearby chair.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for, man. It wasn’t you that punched Seth out of nowhere. I know you had nothing to do with that.” Damian looked around, checking the place out, and his nostrils flexed slightly. “Has Rhett said why he did that?”

“We haven’t really talked,” Link admitted. “I… I’ve never seen him freak out like that before. Last time he’s ever hit anyone was third grade.”

“There’ve been a few times I’ve wanted to hit Seth,” Damian joked. “Don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never seen someone sucker punch him. Man.” He sat back in the chair, shaking his head. “I know turning into a werewolf can bring out a man’s darker side but… dang.”

“What have you seen?” Link sat forward, his elbows on his knees, and folded his fingers together. They were shaking a bit more than usual. “I mean, I guess that’s where rogue werewolves come from, isn’t it? They turn and the wolf makes them… it… Like, they can’t control it.”

“People who don’t have a pack, who aren’t educated…” Damian shrugged as if it was all obvious. “They tend to let the wolf control them. It’s not entirely their fault, but it makes them dangerous. Even the most gentle person can do horrible things when the beast takes over. I’ve seen it too many times, believe me.”

“Rhett’s been a werewolf for over a year now. He’s never lost control like that, I mean…”

***

_It was pitch black in Rhett’s house, and the only sound was Link’s heart pounding in his chest. A dark shadow flitted on the edge of his vision, large and foreboding. Before he could turn to look, he felt a heavy force slam him, front first, into a nearby wall. He made a loud noise as all the wind was knocked out of his lungs. Trying to step back, he felt something large and very strong holding him in place. He tried to wiggle free but couldn’t move an inch. That’s when he felt something fuzzy brush up against the back of his ear._

_“I love how you smell,” Rhett whispered. He inhaled deeply, his beard tickling Link’s skin and the shorter man couldn’t help but start to tremble. As Link tried to turn around, Rhett grabbed both of his wrists and held them firmly above his head. He used his hips and chest to hold the brunet against the cold wall._

***

Remembering back, a shiver ran down the length of Link’s spine. He had never been so terrified of Rhett before, and never so much since. It was the scariest moment of his life, and it was all because his best friend was losing control. Control of the animal inside, the wolf that was still relatively young. Somehow he’d managed to keep himself from hurting Link, but it had been tough for both of them, and Link didn’t like to think about what could have happened.

“He’s usually in more control than that,” Link mumbled. Damian nodded understandingly.

“I’m sure he is, but it only takes one moment of weakness, one moment for the beast to take control.”

“Have you ever lost control?”

“When I was young,” Damian confessed with an amused grin. “Never did anything violent but, one night I jumped in the back of a stranger’s truck, completely naked.”

“Uh, why?”

“Friend dared me. The car was driving down the road at the time.” He chuckled, remembering. Link wasn’t really in the mood to laugh. “Look,” Damian said, losing the grin and sitting up straighter. “If you’re really worried Rhett will hurt you, why don’t you stay with us for awhile?”

“He would never hurt me.” Link looked down, his voice was quieter than he intended, his tone scared and uncertain. “Rhett would never hurt me.” He wanted to believe his words, but there was still a flicker of doubt in the back of his mind. It wasn’t that he was afraid of Rhett actually injuring him; they were equally matched these days in strength and stamina. Being both werewolves meant it was hard to lay either of them out. It was more that he didn’t like the idea of the man he knew and loved becoming someone else. Someone he didn’t understand. Never in the decades of their friendship would he have believed that gentle giant would have been capable of hurting anyone.

But that was before.

“Didn’t you say he killed the mutt who made you?” Damian asked, gently. Link looked up at him and he looked back, kind but inquiring.

“Yeah but... that was to protect me. That mutt was-”

“Many dark things have been done to protect others, Link. He may have had the best intentions, but once you let the beast out, its very hard to put it back in its cage. Very hard.” Link didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to believe it. Getting to his feet, he paced the room, his hand to his mouth, running facts over in his mind.

“He’s careful,” he affirmed, mostly speaking to himself. “Even during his moons he’s in control.”

“Like he was last night?” Damian’s words made Link stop in his tracks. “Link, I know he’s your friend and you care about him…”

‘ _You have no idea._ ’

“But Rhett’s what we call a natural born alpha. His wolf instinctively wants to be in charge. He probably doesn’t even know he’s doing it. When someone threatens his dominance, he lashes out. Last night I’m sure he saw Seth as a threat, for whatever reason, and felt he needed to assert his dominance over him. Rhett must have thought Seth was trying to take you away and he needed to take you back. Take back what was his.”

‘ _I_ am _his_ …’ Link thought, but he frowned as well. He didn’t like this ‘alpha Rhett’, this dominant figure. Link always saw them as equals. If Rhett thought, even subconsciously, that Link was going to be the beta male, he had another thing coming.

While he was lost in his thoughts, he almost didn’t hear a car pulling up in the driveway, or the footsteps walking across the porch. He didn’t realize anything until the front door was unlocked from the outside, and a tall figure stepped inside. Settling his jaw, Link took a deep breath. He was ready to talk now and he had a lot to say.


	12. Chapter 12

Rhett looked exhausted. He hadn’t gotten any sleep last night having stayed up waiting for a call or just a text from Link. His hair was ruffled, the curls drooping over his forehead. He still had the clothes on from last night, now wrinkled and stained with sweat. The dark bags under his eyes made him look half dead, but his entire face lit up the minute he saw Link. Without a word, he rushed across the room to take the man he loved in his arms, holding him like he might disappear any moment.

“Link,” he whispered, his voice thick and hoarse. “Oh god I… When I didn’t hear from you... ” Link didn’t answer, placing his hands loosely on Rhett’s sides, mostly because he didn’t know what else to do with them. Rhett didn’t notice Link’s lack of enthusiasm; he was just happy the man was alive and in his grasp. “But you’re okay, you’re fine. Everything’s alright now.” 

Rhett felt so warm and inviting, his arms the same arms that made Link feel safe and loved. The guilt from before was quickly rising back up in Link’s chest. Guilt from making Rhett upset, from making him stay up all night worrying. Part of Link wanted to stay here, holding his best friend, until all the problems they had went away, but he couldn’t. They couldn’t keep bouncing back and forth between fighting and making up. Something had to give and right now Link was sick of being the one who was doing all the giving.

“Everything is _not_ alright,” Link countered, pushing Rhett away. The hurt look on Rhett’s face only added to his guilt, tearing a fresh hole in his heart, but he couldn’t back down now. “We can’t keep doing this, Rhett, and you can’t just pretend that last night wasn’t a big deal.”

“I know that!” Rhett pleaded “I _know_ that! I just…” Finally the rest of the room came into focus and he realized that they were not alone. His expression grew stern and he instinctively moved his body to stand between Link and Damian, who had been watching the whole scene silently until now, and with keen interest.

“Nice to see you, Rhett,” he said, standing up. Despite the way Rhett was staring him down, Damian didn’t look intimidated in the least. He almost looked… smug. Rhett wanted to tear that stupid grin right off his face, but he held fast. Letting his temper get the better of him was why he was in the dog house in the first place. Instead he settled for glaring at him as menacingly as he could. Link stepped away from both of them, his own glare settling on Rhett.

“See? _See?_ This is what I’m _talking_ about, man.” Link shook his head, completely fed up with Rhett and his behavior. “Look at you!” He motioned at Rhett and the blond man glanced down briefly. “Standing over me, overbearing and so… _arrogant._ I don’t need you to protect me. I certainly don’t need you treating me like some damsel in distress, and for what? I don’t like the ‘jealous boyfriend’ routine on you. I’m sick of it.”

“Link,” Rhett tried. “It’s not jealousy, I’m trying to-”

“What?!” Link tossed his arms in the air, exasperated. “What could you _possibly_ gain from treating people this way? From punching Seth? What did he ever do to you?”

“I shouldn’t have done that, I… I lost my temper and I’m sorry.” Rhett said these last words at Damian as well as Link. It seemed he owed several people an apology.

“But why, Rhett?” Link pressed. “What made you so mad that you actually punched somebody?”

“You were with Theo last night,” Damian guessed. “Weren’t you?” Not finding a good reason to lie about it, Rhett simply nodded. “I’m assuming he filled your head with tales of the horrible things Seth’s supposedly done. He and his rogue mutt buddies. I can smell them all over you.” 

“They had quite a few interesting things to say,” Rhett admitted. “About Seth, Caleb... you.”

“What did he say?” Link asked. Rhett looked over at his boyfriend, remembering the awful things he’d heard, the horrible things he’d imagined. He couldn’t bring himself to describe them; it was painful enough just thinking about them. After a moment, Damian answered for him.

“The same old rhetoric, I’m sure. Look-” he lifted his hands in a conciliatory gesture- “Theo is angry. He spent nearly five years in our pack, helping Caleb and I find rogue mutts who were killing and turning people. Then things went bad and now he blames us for what happened.”

“What _did_ happen?” Rhett demanded. “Why does he hate you so much?” Before answering, Damian motioned towards the couch, inviting Rhett and Link to sit down. Link immediately went for the couch, eager to hear the story as well, but Rhett hesitated before going for a nearby chair. Damian took the last chair across from him, taking a deep breath before starting.

“Theo’s brother, Chris… he had a nose like a bloodhound. Better, even. He was the best tracker the pack had ever seen, and he used it to find rogue mutts that refused to play nice. Theo didn’t have the best nose, but he was a tough sonofabitch. Together they made a great team. Chris found ‘em, Theo dealt with them.”

“You mean he killed them,” Rhett clarified. Damian nodded.

“When necessary. These were wolves that were hurting people, hunting indiscriminately. Still, it wasn’t like mass murder; it’s rare that Seth fails to end things peacefully. Theo and Chris were never sent in unless there was no other choice. Killing was, always has been, a last resort.” Damian turned to Rhett. “Sometimes it has to be done.”

“Sounds like they were very good at it, though.”

“They were, but they weren’t invincible. When you’re a giant beast man with super strength and the power to regenerate practically any injury, it’s easy to get cocky. Chris was sent to find a small group of mutts hiding out in Umatilla forest, in Oregon. He… well. He found them and... I guess he thought he could deal with them alone.” Damian sighed. “He should have waited for backup.” Link sat back on the couch, looking off into nowhere.

“They killed him,” he concluded. Damian nodded. “And Theo thinks Seth, or you, or whatever… He thinks you’re responsible?”

“Honestly I don’t understand it.” Damian shrugged. “Maybe because it was Seth’s call that the mutts be dealt with, but it was never his idea that Chris take them all on by himself. That was Chris’s bad call. I don’t like to speak ill of the dead but… If he’d had just waited for backup, he would probably still be alive.”

Rhett and Link were silent for a while, taking it all in. It would explain why the mutts hated Theo and the pack. If Theo did blame Seth for his brother Chris’s death, that would explain the divide between them as well. Link looked over to Rhett whose sullen expression reminded him of how this conversation started. His anger towards the man had faded considerably, and he was ready to at least listen to Rhett in a much calmer fashion.

“So,” he began, looking at Rhett. “I’m guessing Theo, and the mutts told you, what? That Seth was going to kill me, too?”

“Something like that. The way they talked about him, the things he did- _supposedly_ did,” Rhett added quickly, glancing towards Damian. “Then I couldn’t get hold of you, on the phone… My brain started making up scenarios of what they were doing to you, Link. I couldn’t… I couldn’t think straight. I…”

“It’s okay, Rhett.” Link scooted to the end of the couch, closer so he could place his hand on Rhett’s knee. He wanted to get up and hug him again, but with Damian watching them he didn’t dare. “I think I understand now.” Rhett gazed into Link’s eyes, hopeful. “There’s more I’d like to talk to you about but-” ‘ _But not with Damian here._ ’ “-you look like you could use a rest. Why don’t you go lie down upstairs? We can talk later.”

“Okay. I’m glad you’re okay, Link,” Rhett said, but in the curve of his smile he told Link ‘ _I love you._ ’ Something easily missed by their visitor, but his boyfriend understood immediately. He shot him his own, crooked smile.

‘ _I love you, too._ ’ As Rhett walked up the stairs towards the bedroom, Link turned to their guest. Damian's face was a bit hard to read. A cross between relief and curiosity, with a hint of disappointment. 

“You guys gonna be alright?” he asked.

“I think so.” Link checked the time on his phone. It was just about lunch time and he hadn’t even eaten breakfast yet. “You want to stay for lunch or…?”

“Nah, I should be heading back. Thanks though. I’ve imposed enough on you already.” He offered his hand and Link shook it firmly. “If you need anything, you let me know, alright?”

“I’ll be sure to do that.” He meant it. “Tell Seth we’re sorry for what happened. I’ll make sure Rhett tells him personally after he’s rested.”

~ ~ ~

Once alone again, Link headed into the kitchen. As he brought down a box of frosted mini wheats, he thought about what Damian had said. Theo’s past was dark and violent, exactly as Link had feared, but it wasn’t his bloody history that was disturbing just now. Well, it was, but even more so was the idea that he could incite Rhett to violent acts of his own. With just words he could turn the gentle giant into an angry monster. Maybe it was time to rethink their friendship with the bushy-haired bartender.

Yet it couldn’t be entirely Theo’s fault, Rhett’s actions. It wasn’t mind control or voodoo that made him attack Seth that night. No spell was cast to that brought Rhett’s fist to the other man’s face. Or maybe there was, in a sense. If the wolf inside was not as controlled as everyone believed, perhaps it didn’t take much to make him want to fight. Maybe he had been living closer to the edge than it seemed and all it took was a threat to himself or someone he cared about to bring out the beast within. If that was the case than…

What? What could they do to fix this? What could Link do? He wanted to help Rhett control his inner wolf, but he was by no means an expert. Theo didn’t seem like a likely candidate either. Supposing he knew how, Link didn’t really want to have anything to do with him at the moment. With the internetainer’s list of known werewolves incredibly short, that really only left a few choice candidates, and after last night many of them probably wouldn’t want to lend a hand to Rhett even if they were able. 

‘ _Damian seemed forgiving,_ ’ Link noted to himself. ‘ _I’m sure he’ll help._ ’ He did seem both willing and able to offer assistance. At the very least he would know who to talk to about Rhett’s issue. 

Link scoffed to himself. ‘Rhett’s issue’. Like he had a drinking problem or something. It was entirely possibly this ‘issue’ couldn’t be solved without complication. Still, they had to try, for everyone’s sake. It was worth trying, and besides, Link didn’t know what else to do.

Now if only he could convince Rhett to go along. 

After finishing his cereal, Link went upstairs to check on his boyfriend. Still asleep, Rhett looked so calm and peaceful, lying curled up on his side of their giant bed. Moving as quietly as he could, Link gently lay down beside him, his hands placed between them. He wanted to reach out and caress that sleeping face, those tender cheeks, run his fingers along that fuzzy jawline, but he held back. Rhett deserved to rest before they spoke. Link closed his eyes as well, letting himself doze off. With Rhett by his side, he didn’t really want to be anywhere else and when the other man awoke, he wouldn’t have to wake alone.


	13. Chapter 13

It was early evening when Rhett finally woke. His eyelids fluttered open and the first thing he saw was the sleeping face of his friend and lover, Link, serene and beautiful in the soft bedroom light. The boyish face with a manly jawline could have been carved by Michelangelo himself. His mouth was slightly ajar, and Rhett found his gaze drawn to those cupid bow-shaped lips. It would be so easy to shift a little closer and place a gentle kiss on those perfect lips, but he didn’t want to wake him. Not yet. He just wanted to take in the moment, watching the man sleep just a tiny bit longer.

Too many times Rhett found himself wondering how Link could put up with him, after everything he’d put that man through. Getting him turned into a werewolf, taking away his chance of having a normal life... a family. If the tables were turned of course, Rhett wouldn’t ever even think about leaving Link. If their situations were reversed, he would still consider himself so lucky to have someone who felt the same way. Someone who was willing to stay no matter what. Every day he felt luckier. Every day he fell deeper in love with his best friend.

Eventually he couldn’t take it anymore. Quietly, Rhett lifted his hand and traced a single finger tenderly down the side of Link’s face. Then, gently he placed his hand by Link’s cheek, running his thumb over the man’s upper lip. He broke into a soft grin as Link came too, meeting sapphire eyes with mossy green. It took Link a moment to fully come out of whatever dream he’d been having, and he took a deep breath and stretched his legs.

“Hey,” he greeted sleepily, returning Rhett’s sweet smile.

“Hey,” Rhett replied, not letting go. “You ready to be awake?” Link closed his eyes and turned his face into Rhett’s hand, nuzzling his palm.

“Mm,” he groaned, drowsily. “No. Never.”

“Good dream?” Link hummed his answer, taking another cleansing breath before opened up his eyes once more.

“I dreamt we were back in Lillington, filming in the basement studio.” He rubbed his eyes, clearing them of crust. “I was, um… on the old elliptical machine we used to have. No idea why.”

“Those were simpler times,” Rhett commented, remembering. He lowered his hand to hold onto Link’s, recalling the times when he would have been so afraid to do so. Sure things had been simpler, but they had been far more lonely. No matter how hard things got since Rhett and Link finally admitted how they felt for one another, it was better than the days before. Neither could say they really missed those bygone days when they had to pretend to feel nothing. “Wait, what was I doing in the video?”

“You were closer to the camera, making weird faces like you were showing the audience how to kiss properly. I think.” Rhett chuckled softly at the image.

“I _am_ the expert,” he teased. Link rolled his eyes. “I am,” Rhett insisted. “Obviously your subconscious agrees with me.” Link just grunted and closed his eyes again. After another moment, Rhett spoke up again, his voice quieter, contemplative. “You ever… think about those days and... I dunno… regret...

“I don’t regret nothing,” Link stressed.. “I’m right were I want to be.” He looked into Rhett’s eyes, certain and penetrating. “I’m where I’ve always wanted to be,” he added. “In your bed.”

“Oh yeah?” Rhett couldn’t help but crack a bigger smile, and as Link smiled back he felt that familiar rush of affection, the surge of arousal that only Link could give him. Still, there was something he needed even more desperately: reassurance. “Even… even after everything that’s happened? After I… after what I’ve-” His boyfriend didn’t let him finish that sentence, scooting forward just enough to hush his worries with a gentle kiss.

“It’s not your fault you were turned,” Link reminded him. “It wasn’t your fault that I was turned, either. Everything that’s happened since was either beyond your control or you being the wonderful person I fell in love with, trying to make the best of an insane situation.” He shifted his body until he was pressed up against him. “I don’t think it’s even possible for me to not love you, corny as that sounds.”

“Very corny.” Rhett agreed, wrapping his free arm around Link’s waist. “Luckily, I feel the same way.” With a loving grin, he kissed Link’s lips with loving tenderness. So many times in the past he’s wanted to pounce on Link, taking him with wild abandon, but this wasn’t one of those times. He wanted to savor the moment, take his time with every sensation, let Link know just how much he was loved.

Leaning into the kiss, Link shifted closer until there was barely any space between them, their bodies pressed up against one another. Even though Link still had on his clothes, Rhett was practically naked, wearing only his boxers shorts under the fluffy comforter of their bed. Link ran his fingertips over the light brown hair on his boyfriend’s chest with fingertips sensing the rippling muscles just underneath the skin. A soft moan escaped his lips, surprising himself. He didn’t expect to feel so physically enamored when he lay down here just hours ago, but now he wanted to feel even closer to his love, a need for intimacy that he suddenly realized he hadn’t felt in awhile.

Applying pressure in just the right way, Link turned Rhett onto his back. He rolled with him, lips never moving far away from lips, until he lay on top of the taller man. Rhett’s hands felt their way down to Link’s hips, holding him close and helping him get into position. He hesitated to go further, to remove the shirt or even run his hands under the thin fabric, waiting for Link’s next move. Waiting for Link to set the pace.

It was agonizingly slow, but in the most pleasant way. Link took his time reacquainting himself with Rhett’s mouth as if he hadn’t tasted him in years. Slow kisses, little licks and the softest of nibbles on the moist lips of his love left them both shorter for breath after only a few minutes. Finally Link sat up, straddling Rhett’s waist, so he could easily slip out of his t-shirt. Rhett’s hands were on the naked flesh before him in an instant, his nails raking tender lines down the man’s chest and through the dark hair. Both could remember times when they made love near the full moons, when Rhett’s fingernails weren’t so gentle, when he left red marks on his lover’s skin. The memory was wonderful. This moment was wonderful.

“I want you from behind,” Link whispered, leaning down to capture Rhett’s mouth once more. “I want you up against the headboard.” It wasn’t one of their usual positions, but Rhett wasn’t going to argue. He gave Link one last smooch before nodding enthusiastically. Link couldn’t help but giggle at his boyfriend’s eagerness. He shuffled to the other side of the bed, watching Rhett’s backside as he got out of bed. Then he watched Rhett remove his dark boxers, as he himself lay onto his side in an almost ‘Lionel Richie’ pose, feeling quite amused at the situation. Here Rhett was, the supposed alpha of their relationship, and he didn’t second guess Link’s commands for a second. Maybe Damian was wrong, maybe they all were. Maybe both Rhett and Link were alphas.

Once Rhett stood naked before him, Link took a moment to pour his gaze over that which he loved most in this world. Rhett was a sight to behold, his body subtly tan and impossibly tall. Under a pair of skinny jeans and shirt, Rhett could easily be mistaken for lanky, his arm and legs remarkably long, but there was muscle there. In years past he had started gathering a big of a tummy, not that it ever bothered Link. He loved Rhett, in all his forms, but seeing how this werewolf’s curse made the flab disappear, replaced by a nicely toned figure, it was definitely a lovely image. Now Link made no secret about how much he loved to look over Rhett’s hairy bosom, taught stomach or his quickly hardened cock, his blue eyes gazing hungrily up and down the nude figure before him. Rhett almost blushed from the inspection.

“Are you going to stare at me all day?” he wondered, bashfully. “N-not that I’m complaining…” Link didn’t answer at first, smirking with a crooked grin and letting his eyes pass over a few more times. Then, sigh an exaggerated sigh, he rolled off to his side of the bed to remove his own clothing. By the time he was done, Rhett was already crawling back onto the comforter, moving towards the head of the bed. Link crawled up behind him, his hands caressing the newly exposed skin just before Rhett’s waist; on his hips, his back. Moving slowly towards the front. 

“I could stare at you for hours, days, and never grow tired of looking.” Link slid the palms of his hands from the top of Rhett’s hip bones towards his middle, and lower until he just brushed the edges of his pubic hair. “I feel like I already have, watching you when you aren’t looking.” He placed a long kiss right between Rhett’s shoulder blades, amidst a small cluster of tiny freckles. “I spent so many hours just looking at you, before we were together. When I was supposed to be working-” Another kiss- “on the phone-” And another, a bit higher up- “Even when we were on set. I watched you out of the corner of my eye, or through that giant monitor.” One last kiss on Rhett’s shoulder. “I wanted to memorize what you looked like, so I could picture you perfectly in my dreams.”

“I think… I think I caught you a few times,” Rhett admitted, thinking back. “I’m sure I ignored it, or wrote it off as my mind playing tricks.” He turned his head back so he could see Link’s face, his own hands holding tight to the top of the headboard. “I guess I never could believe you actually felt the same way about me.” Link smiled into Rhett’s back, scooting closer until his front was pressed up against his boyfriend’s bare skin. After a moment’s thought, a brief passing journey into the past for himself, he rolled his hips against the Rhett’s butt, prodding those luscious asscheeks with his bulging erection, eager and ready.

“Do you believe it now?” he smirked. Rhett moaned and leaned back, biting his lip in anticipation. He didn’t mind being Link’s toy, subservient in bed, from time to time. Their lovemaking had always been a balance; they took turns being on top and on bottom, took turns being the dominant one. Sex, like all other aspects of their lives, was done together, as equals. While some wanted them to pick a leader between them, they could never do it. Only by working as partners in everything they did were they able to build this life. That’s how it had to be. That’s how it would always be.

“Please, Link,” Rhett begged, his heart already pounding fast. “I want you so badly.” Link ran his lips delicate along Rhett’s neck, barely kissing, and it sent a delicious shiver along the man’s scalp, a tingle down his spine.

“The bottle is in your nightstand,” Link reminded him. Nimbly Rhett bent to the side, reaching down with one hand and opening the small drawer in the bedside table. Beside a nail clipper, a charger for his phone and a few loose books he’d yet to finish, was a very familiar bottle. It was nearly empty, but it had more than enough liquid for one more go.

“Don’t let me forget to buy more on the way home,” Rhett commented, passing the bottle back to Link before putting his hand back into place. “I like having a spare bottle here.”

“Mmm, me too,” Link agreed, popping the top. He purposely took his time applying the creamy substance to his member, making sure he would be nice and hard for his lover. Rhett liked it hard. Then, putting the bottle aside, he took a decent portion of what was left onto his fingers, slipping them down between Rhett’s cheeks. He quickly found the supple opening and coated the entrance liberally.

“I want you so bad…” Almost unconsciously, Rhett brought one of his hands down to grab his own growing arousal, but Link punished him by immediately pulling his fingers away. Using the lube-free side of his hand, he pushed Rhett back against the headboard.

“I know, baby, I know,” he sympathized, as Rhett went back to holding the wooden board with both hands. “Soon.” He reached down again and pressed a single finger inside. “You’re already so relaxed.”

“My body wants you, too.” Rhett gripped the headboard hard, trying to make his hands believe they were glued there. “Please touch me. I need you to… Mmm, please?” He bucked his hips forward, slightly, rather than say the words he wanted to say. Link understood. With one hand feeling its way deeper inside, Link used his other hand to reach around and find Rhett’s penis. “Please…”

“I’m here, Rhett,” Link cooed, inserted a second finger and getting another moan in response. “I’m not going anywhere.” Wiggling his fingers oh so slightly, he judged the tightness of Rhett’s muscles. The long digits could easily reach that sensitive bundle of nerves, but he purposely avoided them, not wanting Rhett to come too soon. The tease was excruciating, and Rhett couldn’t help but writhe against the sensation.

“You torture me,” he groaned, trying to push himself into the right place for pleasure. Of course, Link didn’t let him, his well-experienced fingers knowing just how to stay out of reach and still able to relentlessly tantalize. 

“Spread your knees a bit,” Link instructed, his voice caring yet authoritative. Rhett immediately did as he was told, inching his legs further apart and bringing his enormous height down a few inches. “That’s it, baby.” Link brushed Rhett’s prostate lightly with his fingertips as a reward and a shudder ran through Rhett's giant body. “I’m going to make you feel so good.”

Far too soon Rhett was ready for more than just a few fingers, and Link was more than happy to oblige. With one hand on Rhett’s waist and the other on his own member, he guided himself towards the taller man’s entrance. Rhett was so excited he was practically humping air, and it was making things difficult. Moving his hand from Rhett’s waist to his back, Link silently asked him to hold still. Then, finally, he slipped inside, just past the first muscle, engulfing the head of his cock completely.

“Oh, you’re so big, Link,” Rhett murmured, and Link growled appreciatively.

“You like that?” Running his hand over Rhett’s back, admiring the soft, freckled skin, Link felt that surge of power that he so enjoyed when he topped. He even snuck in a few love bites at the base of the man’s neck and he forged deeper inside.

“Ah, uh, y-yes, oh god…” Rhett stammered, barely able to form words as he felt Link move inside him, easily going deeper than fingers ever could. His own member stood at attention, desperate to be touched, but he kept his hands in place. He knew it wouldn’t be long before Link tended to that need. Rhett was happy to wait, relishing in the feeling of being filled by Link’s cock, so wonderfully filled. Then Link began to thrust. Inch by inch he pulled out until it was just the very tip inside, only to plunge himself back in to the hilt. “Fuck! Ohhh f-fuck yes…”

Again and again Link pulled out slowly before impaling himself once more. Rhett’s moans echoed throughout the room, his hands clenched tight the wood before him, grinding back into Link’s thrusts. Their movements easily became a rhythm, a dance they’d practice for a long time now but never lost the satisfaction of dancing. Every time was like the first, every bit as harmonious, every bit as pure paradise.

Link was getting close. He dropped a hand to grasp Rhett’s bouncing cock, already dripping with dew. Rhett could always come right there from the touch, but he held back, waiting for Link to say those hushed words he so wanted to hear, to feel. Taking Rhett’s cock in a solid grip, Link stroked him in time with the roll of their hips. They were both close now, so close, and he was ready to bring them to the end.

“Who’s your alpha?” he whispered, his lips just at the base of Rhett’s ear.

“You,” Rhett keened, his eyes closed, his mind lost in the moment. “You are, Link. Always.” He was so close, and Link’s sultry voice was making it hard to hold back.

“Come for your alpha,” Link uttered, quiet and commanding, his hand giving Rhett one final squeeze. It was too much, and Rhett came hard, crying out in ecstasy as his body jerked and then stiffened. His muscles flexed and a lovely stream of white shot out onto the clean headboard. Link came soon after, feeling his lover clench down on his cock. One last thrust and he was gone too, clutching Rhett close as he pumped every last drop inside until they were both spent and unable to do anything but fall back onto the bed, exhausted. 

Still lying front to back, arms around each other, the two men could barely move as they waited for their hearts to stop beating out of their chests, and their breathing to go back to normal. Eventually Rhett let out a slow chuckle, riding the high from his afterglow, and turned over to look into Link’s face.

“That’s gonna stain,” he noted softly, pointing at the sticky substance dripping from the wooden headboard with his eyes. Link followed his gaze before looking back into his green eyes.

“Can’t we just buy a new headboard?” he whined, making Rhett laugh all over again.

“Anything for my alpha.” Link gave his own sweet, little giggle as Rhett pecked him right on his nose. “I love you, Link.”

“I love you, too.” He rolled onto his back, grabbed up his glasses and put them on. After a moment of staring at the ceiling, he sighed to himself. “I need to clean that.”

“Let me do it,” Rhett offered. “I mean, it kinda was your fault but-”

“Shut up.”

“Yes, alpha,” he quipped. Link rolled his eyes, but smiled too.

“I’ll do it,” Link said, sitting up. “I’m thirsty anyway; I can grab a drink from kitchen while I’m downstairs. You want anything?”

“Nah, I’m good, but I do need a shower, though. For more reasons than one.” As he stood up more than a little cum spilled onto the bed. He looked down with mixed amusement. “I’ll uh, I’ll clean the sheets too.”

“Yes, you will,” Link agreed with a grin. He used a clean corner of the blankets to clean himself as he watched Rhett head to the master bathroom. Damn that man had a fine ass. Once his boyfriend was out of sight, Link put on a pair of pants. Not bothering with underwear or a shirt he headed downstairs to the kitchen to get a glass of water and a sponge.


	14. Chapter 14

Link was almost through the living room on his way to the kitchen when he heard a knock on the front door. He grumbled to himself about being left the hell alone and visitors ruining the moment, but walked right over to see who it was anyway.

A quick peek through the eyehole told him he didn’t know the stranger that now stood on his doorstep, and his first instinct to pretend no one was home, but this man didn’t have a clipboard in his hand, and he didn’t look like any door to door salesman. He was dressed ruggedy and his expression was intense, like a wild animal turned tame. As Link watched, the man paced slowly in front of the door, glancing not at the house but into the distance, like he expected someone else to pull up at any minute.

Maybe Link should have ignored him, and in another life he would have, but this wasn’t his old life, and if someone came by the private house so few knew about, he wasn’t there by chance. He was here to see them. Taking a deep breath, Link paused to listen. He could hear the sounds of running water upstairs; Rhett was in the shower. Good. He didn’t need any more stress right now. Link could take care of this himself.

“Who is it?” he asked, with as much confidence as a president. The answer came with little hesitation.

“Alistair. I’m a... An associate of Theo’s.” The man looked over the door as if he was estimating its strength, or maybe it was the man behind it that he was sizing up. “I’m here to see Rhett. He left rather abruptly yesterday. Wanted to see if everything was alright.” Link knew there was more to the man’s visit that simple worry, but he didn’t care for a conversation through walls. Standing up to his full height, he opened the door wide.

“I’m guessing you’re Link,” Alistair surmised. “Good to finally meet you.” He didn’t offer a hand, and Link didn’t feel like offering his own. Link stood with a swagger than exuded confidence. Confidence that came from knowing he had this stranger outnumbered, with Rhett waiting in the wings, and the confidence from being on his home turf. This stranger may have been taller, bigger and stronger, but Link wasn’t scared in the slightest. Completely the opposite, in fact, and he could tell from the stranger's posture that it was very obvious.

“I don’t think I’ve heard of you,” Link noted. “How do you know Rhett?”

“Theo introduced us yesterday. He uh, wanted you and Rhett to… I don’t know.” Alistair shrugged. “Work with us.”

“You’re one of the mutts, aren’t you? The packless.” Alistair nodded. “Well, Rhett is just fine, thanks.” Link moved to shut the door. “Now if you don’t mind-”

“Hey, wait a minute.” Alistair stepped up and stopped the door with his hand. “I didn’t come here for small talk. You’re friend and you are in the middle of this, whether you like it or not.”

“We aren’t in the middle of anything.” Taking a step outside, Link forced his visitor to step back. He was mad and sick of everyone making decisions for him. Sick of everyone just pushing him around; him _and_ Rhett. “We never wanted to get mixed up in some blood feud or whatever you guys have with the Lowells. We don’t care. We just want to be left alone, alright? We don’t want to pick sides. We don’t want to get involved. Just leave. Us. Alone. Got it?”

Alistair sighed and clenched his jaw in frustration. He definitely looked like he had a thing or two to say about Link’s attitude, but for a moment it looked like he wasn’t going to say anything at all. He marched down the porch steps before turning around and glaring up at the man before him.

“You may not like it, you may not want it, but you don’t have a choice. The curse of the wolf is in your blood and that means two things.” He held up one finger to emphasize his point. “One, you’re gonna turn into a beast three nights a month and two-” he held up another- “You’re gonna have to deal with other wolves. You’re best option is to make friends with one side or the other because eventually you’re gonna need 'em. In this world any wolf that’s not your friend is your enemy. I just hope you pick the right ones.”

With that, Alistair stomped off to his waiting truck. Link watched with blazing eyes as his visitor got in and drove away. He didn’t bother waiting until Alistair was out of sight before going back inside. He didn’t want to waste any more time on that man, or his agendas. He meant what he said: he just wanted to live with Rhett in peace, and not deal with the hatred these two factions had for one another. 

Heading back towards the kitchen, like he had originally planned, Link forgo his drink of water to just grab up a fresh sponge, a hand towel, and some soap. He’d cleaned wood before, but not because someone came on it before. Hopefully regular dish soap would be just fine. He made it upstairs before Rhett was even out of the shower. The sheets had all been taken off the bed, presumably to be placed in the wash machine, and Link quickly got to work cleaning up the leftover mess. He was just drying off the headboard when Rhett came back from the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel.

“Hey, babe,” he cooed, drying his hair with another towel and standing in the doorway like some sort of runway model. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starved. You wanna eat out or order in?”

“I think I’m ready to head home. Whaddaya say?” Rhett was more than happy to agree.

~ ~ ~

As they drove the few hours back to Burbank, back to the bustle of L.A. life, Rhett and Link talked about a few things. For one they both decided it was best to not pick sides in this grudge the Lowells had with the mutts. Whatever happened in the past, it didn’t involve the two internetainers and they didn’t want it to.

“Theo’s still my friend,” Rhett reminded Link. “I don’t want to abandon him.”

“I’m not asking you to,” Link told him. “I just… I don’t think it’s fair of him to involve you in anything violent, and that sounds exactly what he and his mutt friends want to do.”

“Fair enough. I’ll talk to him when I get home. I’m sure he’s eager to know what happened to you and me.”

“Some guy came by the place, while you were in the shower.” Rhett gave his friend a surprised look, both for someone coming by and for Link taking so long to mention it.

“Yeah? Who? One of Lowell's guys?” he guessed.

“Alistar. Didn’t get his last name.” Thinking back, Link wondered if maybe he should have asked more questions of the visitor. “He said he was a friend of Theo’s.”

“Not sure friend is the right word,” Rhett mumbled. “He leads the mutts, if anyone does. What did he want?” Link shrugged.

“I mean, he said he was checking up on us. Wanted to talk to you but…” He glanced over at Rhett, checking for signs that the man was upset about Link not letting Alistar in, but he just waited patiently for Link to continue. “I didn’t like the look of him. I just told him we didn’t want to get involved with their fight.”

“I’m surprised he showed up at all,” Rhett mused. “He didn’t seem the type to get worried over someone he’d just met.”

“This world of werewolves seems ripe with ulterior motives,” Link grumbled. “It’s enough to give me a splitting headache.”

“Well, don’t worry about it. You did the right thing. I’ll call Theo, tell him whatever plan he and the mutts have about getting back at the Lowells, I’m not interested.” With a soft smile, Rhett placed a hand on Link’s thigh. “I just want to go back to a normal life. Well, as normal as two werewolves in love can have.”

~ ~ ~

Theo wasn’t happy, when Rhett told him he wanted out, but he understood. He wasn’t that keen on turning the situation violent either, and it did seem like the mutts wanted all out war any day now. The bartender told his friend he wouldn’t force anything on him.

“Don’t shut yourself out completely,” he advised. “I know you want to stay a neutral party in all this, but going blind into this world of monsters is a very bad idea.”

“I appreciate everything you’ve done for us,” Rhett told him, “and if you need anything from me and Link… anything that doesn’t hurt anyone… you let me know. Okay?” Theo nodded, getting to his feet to offer his hand in farewell.

“With any luck the Lowells will eventually go home and leave us all alone. The mutts have gone back into hiding. Hopefully Seth and his goons will give up after a time and things will settle down back to normal.” Rhett nodded, taking the offered hand and shaking it. Just as he was turning to leave, however, a thought occurred to him.

“You’ve known Seth a long time, having you?” he asked. Theo thought back before answering.

“Too long.”

“He the ‘giving up’ type?” Theo was silent for a moment, his face kept carefully deadpan.

“Don’t worry about Seth anymore, Rhett,” he said. “You and Link just go back to your own lives. Let me worry about the werewolf world for awhile.”

“You sure?” As much as Rhett didn’t want to get any deeper into this conflict between the mutts and the Lowells, Theo was his friend. He wanted him to stay safe.

“I’m sure,” Theo assured him with a kind smile. “After all, it’s not you he’s after.”

~ ~ ~

It was a few days later when Rhett got a phone call at his house. It was Seth, though he didn't believe it at first. More than a small surprise; Rhett didn't expect to hear from him again, and certainly not while speaking in such a pleasant tone.

“I would have thought you'd want my hide after what I did last time we talked,” he noted after some brief salutations.

“It was a misunderstanding,” Seth explained. “I'll be honest, I really wanted to kick your ass for your arrogance, but Damian told me why you did it, and I'm not sure I wouldn't have done the same if I was in your position.”

“I probably should have called to apologize-”

“Water under the bridge, my friend. Consider it forgiven and forgotten.” Seth certainly sounded sincere. “You were an alpha projecting your pack. I admire that. Maybe we can start again? This upcoming moon isn't too far away. Why don't we get together and have a run? Just you and me. A little alpha bonding.” 

“I appreciate the gesture, I really do but-”

“There’s no malice between us, right? No hard feelings… is there?” Rhett didn’t want to say it plain and simple, but he and Link had already agreed. Maybe in the future they could get to know the Lowells, and maybe even become friends, but there was still so much bad blood between Theo and the pack. Of course, if Rhett was being honest with himself, he still didn’t trust Seth and he was more than happy to cut him out of their lives for good.

“I just don’t think this is a good time right now,” he lied. “Things are hectic at work, filming our YouTube show and we’ve got a bunch of interviews to do to promote Buddy System. Another time.” There was a long pause and for a moment Rhett thought Seth had hung up. Then, in the same charming and friendly voice, Seth spoke again.

“You sure I can’t convince you?”

“It’s not personal,” Rhett assured him. “Just bad timing.”

“Well alright then, Rhett. I hear ya. My brothers and I will be at our place when the moon turns, in case you change your mind. Just give us a call, okay?”

“Will do.”

“See ya ‘round, Rhett.” Though it was spoken offhandedly, a casual goodbye like any other, there was something about the way he said those few words that sent a shiver up Rhett’s spine. He was certain it was more than farewell. It was a promise.


	15. Chapter 15

All they wanted was to be left alone, away from the fight that was brewing all around them. For some time it seemed things were going back to normal for the two internetainers-turned werewolf. Normal being a highly relative word these days. Filming of Good Mythical Morning season 10 went splendidly, they had reached their 1000th episode and the outpouring of fan appreciation had been more than heartwarming. It pushed the darkness of the world to the far reaches of their minds and life was back to being amazing. All was going well; perhaps far too well. If either Rhett or Link were being honest with themselves, they knew it couldn’t last forever. Not with literal wolves just waiting for their chance to pounce.

What they didn’t know was the how, or where. 

It was a few days before the November moons, and they had just wrapped up filming the season finale of Season 10. They were at home, putting the final touches on their holiday plans. They had booked a flight for the two of them to Hawaii for after the moons, a little get away that they both felt was well deserved. It had been far too long since they left town; the moons never seemed to line up right with their breaks and they didn’t want to go anywhere when they were going to change. 

“I should call Theo,” Rhett was saying. “Let him know we’ll be out of town.”

“What for?” Not that Link thought it was an entirely bad idea for their only werewolf friend to know their whereabouts, he just didn’t like having to check in whenever they made a choice to leave town. In this line of work, leaving town was getting more and more common.

“I want him to know where we are, know how to get in contact with us while we’re gone.” He shrugged. “In case he needs anything.” Link sighed, but didn’t immediately argue. Instead he checked his phone. The first moon was going to rise tomorrow night. 

“Guess it couldn’t hurt,” he admitted. “I’m going to finish packing. If we take an extra suitcase we can leave right from the farm house.”

“Good idea,” Rhett agreed, taking out his own phone. He watched his boyfriend leave the room before dialing up the bartender’s cell phone. It rang a few times, but there was no answer. Trying again, Rhett called the bar itself, but only got a busy tone. Strange, considering Theo never did like to let the phone ring when he was at work, and these were the peak hours for his rather forsaken establishment. Not wanting to jump to any hasty conclusions, Rhett decided maybe a personal visit was in order.

“Hey, Link!” he chirped, poking his head into the bedroom doorway. “Theo’s not picking up. I’m sure it’s nothing but I’m going to pay him and Max a visit, just in case.” Link frowned, setting down the shirt he was folding.

“It’s awfully late…”

“I know, but I just want to make sure he’s alright. Anyway, I want to buy a few things for the weekend so we don’t have to stop anywhere tomorrow.” Crossing the room, Link wrapped his arms around Rhett’s waist loosely and gave him a soft peck on his furry chin.

“You need me to come with you?”

“Nah, you should finish up here, I won’t be long.” Rhett ran his hands slowly down Link’s arms then pulled him close. “I want to make sure we have as much time together these next few days. Just you-” he placed a kiss on Link’s nose- “and me-” another kiss.

“Sounds nice,” Link agreed. “Come home soon. I want to spend time with you before we leave as well.” He gave a slight wink and then kissed Rhett deeply, only pulling away to leave the man wanting more.

“I can’t wait. I’ll be back soon. Love you.”

“Love you too. I’ll be waiting.”

~ ~ ~

It was late when Rhett pulled up to Theo’s bar, well past closing time, yet there was at least one light still on inside. It wouldn’t be out of the question for the bushy-haired bartender to be working late, but something didn’t feel right. As Rhett crossed the small, dark parking lot, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. That unnerving sensation from before was back with a vengeance, and it got worse the closer to the building he got. Taking a deep breath, he opened the back door of the establishment and stepped into the empty hall.

A short walk past the bathrooms would bring one to a junction. To the right, Theo’s office. The left, an unmarked door leading to a holding cell. It once held Rhett himself, the first night he met Theo and his friend, Max. It was not for malice, but protection, a room designed to hold a werewolf during the moons. There a wolf could be kept from harming anyone while it was transformed and, almost as important, no one could harm him either. Despite Rhett and Link’s numerous invitations to the farmhouse, Theo insisted he spend his moons in that room. No doubt he planned on being there for the next three nights.

Past the bolted door was the main common room, and the source of the dim lighting. Rhett followed it to see three men standing in near the bar in a large area cleared of tables and chairs. He first saw Theo, standing with his hands in the air, a furious sneer on his face. To the right, behind the bar, was Max, his hands also up and away. Then, on the far side was Seth and the reason for the other two men’s anger. He was poised before them, a gun in his hand and most definitely in charge. Before Rhett knew it, the gun turned in his direction.

“Ah, Rhett,” Seth began. “Theo’s pet. You picked a strange night to visit. Mind putting your hands up? That’s good boy.” Rhett, of course, complied immediately, but glanced over at Theo, asking with his eyes ‘ _what the hell is going on?_ ’ “Theo, Max, and I were just having a little chat.”

“Leave him alone, Seth,” Theo warned. “He knows even less than I do. Just let him go.”

“You seem to forget who’s holding the gun here,” Seth chided. “My gun, my rules. Frankly, I welcome his inclusion. Maybe he’ll be more forthcoming.”

“What do you want, Seth?” Rhett implored. He could sense his baser instincts raging inside, especially this close to the full moon. If Seth hadn’t brought the gun, there was a real possibility he would be suffering from another broken nose right about now. Unfortunately, Seth was in control. He knew it, and he seemed to be reveling in it.

“Just some information that our friendly neighborhood bartender seemed reluctant to divulge,” Seth explained, snidely. “That’s all. That’s all I ever wanted, and I was happy enough to just ask, but that isn’t good enough for our friend here.” Turning, he pointed the gun back at Theo. “I wish I had the time and the patience to talk it out, or negotiate, but I’m all out of both. So, we’re going to do this the hard way.” He grinned. “It’s my favorite way to do things anyway.”

“We don’t know where they are, Seth,” Max cut in. “Pointing a gun at people isn’t going to change that, I promise you.”

“I don’t know. I find a weapon in one’s face tends to really help them remember.” Seth turned back to Rhett. “What do you think, Rhett? Is this ringing any bells?”

“About what?” Rhett barked. Letting his false smile drop away, Seth scowled and cocked the gun.

“Where… are… the mutts?”

“I don’t know.” It was the truth, the absolute truth. Rhett didn’t know, hadn’t cared for quite some time now. With the pistol pointed at his head he wasn’t certain he could have lied even if he _did_ know. From the look on Seth’s face, he believed Rhett’s answer, but wasn’t happy about it. 

“I know you’ve met with them, talked with them,” he accused. “You’ve been to their woods. You have to know where they are.”

“I don’t!”

“He doesn’t know anything!” Theo insisted. “Just let him go, please. I’ll… I’ll help you…” The bartender slowly lowered his hands, holding them out in offering. “I’ll help you find them, I promise.” Seth turned the gun back on him, squinting slightly as if trying to tell if Theo was telling the truth.

“You’re lying,” he concluded. “You’ve always been a terrible liar, Theo, but it’s all right.” Breaking out into a very dark smile, Seth turned the gun finally towards Max. The bouncer glanced at both Rhett and Theo, beads of sweat visible on his forehead. “Maybe this will help you open up.” Before anyone could react, and with the twitch of his finger, Seth pulled the trigger.

The shot rang out in the small space, and for a moment Rhett’s ears could barely hear anything but the chime in his head. He clutched his ears, trying to block out the sound, but it was no use. On instinct he crouched down, but his eyes were wide open, taking in the scene as if in slow motion. Max leaned back from the impact, or possibly from pain, a small mark of blood appearing on his chest. The light in his eyes was gone in that instant, drained before he even hit the ground. Roaring like a madman, Theo lunged at Seth, surprising both his target and Rhett who was still cowering from the gunshot. 

Theo barreled into Seth, knocking the gun from his hand, but the taller man was not completely unprepared. Once his hands were free of his weapon, he grabbed the incoming bartender and turned him in mid air. With strength only a werewolf could muster, he tossed the shorter man passed him, flinging him into some nearby tables with a terrible crash. Theo was up in a flash but one short punch to the face ended his revolt and knocked him clean out on the floor. 

As the victor turned to retrieve his lost weapon, he found himself once again very surprised. This time of Rhett, who was standing not three feet from him with a gun in his hand pointed directly at his forehead. Not just any gun. Seth’s gun. In the confusion of Theo’s attack, Rhett had managed to grab up the pistol and aim it at the man who had, not five seconds ago, killed a defenseless human. This could not go unpunished. It was Seth’s turn now to hold up his hands.

“You’re a quick one,” he commented, resuming his smug expression. “What are you gonna do, Rhett? Are you going to shoot me?”

“Thinking about it,” Rhett admitted. In truth he only wanted to stop Seth, maybe hold him until Theo came too, or perhaps long enough for police to arrive and handle things.

“Well, go on then,” Seth taunted. “Put a bullet in me.” He took a step forward, undeterred, unfrightened. “Kill me, like you did that old man.”

“W-what?” Another step.

“You heard me. Kill me. End my life; that’s what you’re good at. Killing. You know you want to, so go ahead. Send that bullet ripping through my skull and splatter my brains all over this room. Go on, killer. Do it.”

“I’m not,” Rhett demanded, but his resolve was waning. “I’m not like you.” Another step. Seth pressed his head right against the barrel of the gun, staring into Rhett’s eyes.

“You’re a wolf, a beast. You’ve killed before, and you will again. You have to, it’s in your nature.”

‘ _No…_ ’

“You’re a murderer. Just like me.”

“No!” Flashes of that night, when he had to take a life to save Link flashed in his mind. He never wanted to do that again, to hurt anyone let alone kill someone. He knew, deep inside there was a creature that wanted to kill, to hunt and hurt and he could never let it out. Even now it wanted to rip Seth’s throat out and tear him limb from limb. The very image nauseated him and tears formed at his eyes. He couldn’t do this. He just couldn’t. “...no…”

With a deep shudder, Rhett bowed his head and lowered the gun. Triumphant, Seth snatched it away as soon as it was no longer a threat. He didn’t grin, but looked over at the broken man before him, towering somehow even though he was shorter.

“Pitiful,” he commented, holding the gun nearby. “That’s why you’ll never be an alpha. You are a weak man, and a poor excuse for a werewolf.” Rhett didn’t have it in his heart to disagree at the moment. His own self loathing was already eating away at him from the inside. “I should shoot you right now and be done with it.” Closing his eyes, Rhett braced himself for the end, but it didn't come. “Luckily for you, pup, I might just have a different use for you.” The blond man gazed down at Seth, terrified as to what that use might be.


	16. Chapter 16

The hour had been late when Rhett left for Theo’s bar and it was almost midnight before Link’s worry started to really get to him. He told himself he was probably fretting over nothing, but he soon couldn’t wait any longer. As the clock struck twelve he grabbed up his phone to call his boyfriend. His fear only grew worse when he got no answer. Texting didn’t work either.

 _Where are you?_ he demanded, after his fifth message. When he still didn’t hear back, he tried Theo’s phone. After a few tries, the bartender actually picked up, but the hope in Link’s heart was to be short lived.

“Fuck...” Theo mumbled, struggling to maintain consciousness. “Shit. Max…”

“Theo? Is Rhett there? He went to see you-” There was silence on the other end of the phone, then loud clattering of wood on wood. Link clutched the phone close, trying desperately to understand what was going on so far away. “Theo?” 

“Max. Max!” Theo was shouting and from the sound of it he had set down the phone but left it on as he talked to his dear friend and employee. “Oh my god, Max…”

“Theo! Where’s Rhett?!” 

“I don’t know!” Theo yelled back, not picking up the phone. “Seth was here. He fucking shot Max and knocked me out. Rhett’s not here. Seth must have taken him. He’s not here.” So much in so few words, Link couldn’t comprehend what Theo was trying to tell him and he stopped breathing for a few seconds while he tried to process. On the other end of the phone, he could hear soft noises, presumably Theo tending to Max.

“He… he took Rhett?” Link managed. It couldn’t be true. People don't just _take_ someone. That just didn’t happen, not in real life. Theo had to be mistaken. “But why?” What possible reason could he have to do such a thing?

“Max’s been shot! I don’t know shit, Link! Get over here I need your help!” Moments later Link heard the sound of the line disconnecting, but he sat there, unmoving, while his mind caught up with reality. 

‘ _Rhett…_ ’ It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be. ‘ _He took Rhett._ ’ Link clenched his jaw and took a deep breath. It was real, he had to face that, and then there was only one thing that mattered. He had to make sure Rhett was safe. Still in his wrinkled clothes from the day, he snatched up his car keys and headed out to the car. The last person who had seen his dearly beloved was Theo, so that were where his search would begin.

~ ~ ~

Rhett was in the dark trunk of Seth’s car. To make matters worse his hands were tied together in front of him. He was a prisoner, completely at Seth’s mercy, and all he could think about was Link. Rhett had been gone far too long; his boyfriend had to be getting worried by now. What would he do once he learned what had happened at the bar? What _could_ he do? Neither of them had ever been kidnapped before and they were up against more than just some rogue thug with a knife. If the rest of the Lowell’s pack were in on this, it was a whole family versus Rhett, Link, Theo and Max… but Seth had shot Max.

The last time Rhett saw a man die, it had been by his own hands, but it was no less brutal seeing it done by someone else. Max always seemed like a total brute, but was actually one of the nicest people. He didn’t say much and rarely spoke ill of anyone. He didn’t deserve to be gunned down in cold blood and now there were even fewer people that Rhett could depend on in this world of monsters. At least Theo would be okay. At worse he’d have a concussion and a broken nose, but the fast healing of the werewolf would take care of both in no time. Then he could… what?

Would he go to the police? Rhett wasn’t sure. It made the most sense, especially if anyone had heard the gunshot. The crime rate in the area was a bit high; maybe the police wouldn’t show up. Maybe Theo would want to hide this from them, since it could lead to questions he couldn’t answer, like why did he have a room with a chain bolted to the wall at the back of his bar? He wouldn't want to risk anyone investigating his carefully guarded life.

Rhett had questions of his own. Why, after all this time, would Seth suddenly take action? Why was he so desperate to find the mutts that he would risk pulling a gun out in the city? Rhett wondered if and when he would learn the answers to these questions. Right now he could only wait to see where his captor was taking him.

Even in these late hours, the city of Los Angeles was awake and bustling. As Seth drove farther and farther along, Rhett could hear the noises grow dim, smell the city smog fade away; they were leaving Los Angeles completely, but he couldn't be sure which direction they were going. His head started to feel light, the air in the trunk growing thin, and he was sweating from the warmth of the enclosed space. It was extremely claustrophobic and the adrenaline in his veins was starting to wane, leaving him with exhaustion that threatened to make him pass out. Soon it was only his fear keeping him awake. Fear for his life and fear that Link might also be at risk.

Were Seth’s brothers out there as well? They could be heading for Link right now. This new thought sent a fresh bolt of terror through Rhett’s body, reawakening his hatred for Seth. If he got the chance, he promised himself he would break Seth’s nose all over again, as well as several of his bones. To pass the time, and keep the creeping fear at bay, Rhett held onto that anger, imagining all the ways he was going to hurt Seth. He knew he shouldn’t, that it was just feeding into his animal side, but he couldn't help it. It was the only thing keeping him sane at the moment and besides, the moon was nearly full. The wolf inside him was eager to hurt someone… and badly. 

He couldn't decide if wanted to let it or not.

He didn’t know how long he was riding in the trunk of Seth’s car before he could feel them move onto a dirt road. The ride got rougher, the car moved slower, and the thick scent of pine trees and leaves met his keen nose. They were in the forest, maybe somewhere up North but honestly he couldn’t be sure. The idea of jumping whomever opened the trunk as soon as it opened passed through his mind, but he let it go quickly. He had no way of knowing if it was just Seth, or if he had company. Plus his whole left side was falling asleep from him lying on it uncomfortably for far too long. He was in no condition to attack anyone right now. Instead he tilted his head, listening closely as the car finally came to a stop. 

A car door opened, presumably Seth’s, then it slammed shut. A few footsteps reached Rhett’s ears, long strides in loose gravel, getting closer as Seth walked around to the back of the vehicle. A pause. Subtle sounds from farther away… another door? More footfalls, a different stride… someone else, definitely. Rhett could smell them, familiar, someone he had met before, but who? Voices, whispering in frantic tones. Not fear, not exactly. More like surprise, not upset but slightly overwhelmed. Who ever it was had not been expecting this encounter either.

Eventually the two voices stopped and someone stepped closer to the truck. Rhett braced himself but in the end that only meant tensing up and clenching his teeth. When the trunk was flung open, Seth was there with Damian by his side. They both stared down at him like he was a box of sweaters and they were trying to decide whether to store him in the basement or the attic. 

“Are you sure about this?” Damian asked, looking up at his brother. Seth met his gaze with a harsh stare and that was the only answer he offered. With a sigh, Damian reached into the trunk to pull out their captive, and Rhett immediately began to struggle. His body was tired, but he didn’t want to go down without a fight. His hands were almost useless, but he snapped a few times before Seth took out his gun again.

“Knock it off, Rhett,” he grumbled. “I’m not opposed to shooting you a few times in a non-vital area, but I’d really hate to waste the bullets. What say you cooperate a few minutes more, m’k?” Rhett hated his attitude, so blasé it was almost casual, but he had no choice but to comply. Still, he didn’t have to be helpful either. He let his body go limp, using his weight to make it harder for Damian to remove him from the trunk, but the man was stronger than he looked. Together he and Seth dragged him out and Rhett got his first look at his new prison. 

It wasn’t the house by the lake, that he had seen those months ago. It was much smaller, but no less impressive, a mighty fortress of a building made from stone brick. A few lights were on inside, but for the most part it was dark; the only light outside was the moon above shining brightly. Tomorrow night it would be complete; Rhett wondered if he would be able to see it or if the Lowells weren’t planning on keeping him alive that long. He started to think about what they had planned, but immediately stopped. He didn’t want to know. 

A few dozen yards in every direction the tree line surrounded the house. Thick pine trees blocking line of sight after only a few feet, they were a mighty barrier should anyone want to even hike without taking the main road. It was unlikely anyone would be able to hear very far either; this place would be extremely private for any of the residents living inside. Rhett had no confidence that screaming would do any good. The sound would just be eaten up by the forest. 

“I’m sorry about this, Rhett,” Damian offered, as they made their way towards the giant oak front door. “I really wanted to do this peacefully, but-”

“Don’t talk to him,” Seth ordered. He unlocked the door, barely turning the knob before kicking it the rest of the way open with his foot. The inside was very dark, but that didn’t matter much to the three werewolves coming inside. Rhett could see a wide entryway and a massive staircase leading to the second level. To the left was a huge living room, complete with a fireplace and a giant stag head over the mantle. On the right of the front door was a hallway, and it was down there that he was half-led, half-dragged. He still wasn’t making it any easier for these kidnappers, but he was too tired and scared to do much else. 

Another door, this one made of a much darker wood and locked with not one, but two bolts. It took Seth a bit longer to get this one open and when he did a cold draft of air greeted them all. The air was damp and stale, and it sent a fresh shiver down Rhett’s spine. A steep set of wooden stairs led down into the darkness and he knew that if he went in there, it wasn’t likely he’d ever see the sunshine again.

He made a snap decision, one last ditch effort to escape. Leaning as far as he could to one side, he lowered his hands and balled them into fists. Then, dropping his other knee to the ground, he lunged at Seth, letting his weight press into the punch. It wasn’t supposed to be painful, but offsetting. The change in leverage knocked Seth away and he let go of Rhett to keep himself from falling hard on his ass. Without his brother to help keep hold of their prey, Damian lost his grip and for a moment the three of them were flailing for solid ground. Rhett rolled to the side then jumped to his feet as quickly as he could, running towards were he knew there was at least one exit.

The front door wasn’t locked and he nimbly turned the knob with his hands still tied together. That was a problem for another time, right now he need to get out. Maybe he could make it to the woods and lose them in the trees. Getting to Seth’s car was too risky; there was no reason to believe the keys were still in it and even if they were it would take time to fumble with the ignition. Rhett’s only option was to run.

Swinging open the door, Rhett felt the fresh air of the outside world wrap around him and for a brief moment he felt relief. He was tired and terrified, but at least he was outside of that damned house. Damian and Seth were no doubt on their feet now and he had to act quickly to evade them, but at least there was hope. 

But only for a moment.

As he began to move towards the treeline and his imagined freedom, he heard a new set of footsteps. They didn't come from the house, but somewhere else nearby. A glance to the side saw a dark shape approach from the driveway and Rhett didn’t wait to see who it was. Running as fast as his long legs could carry him, he dashed forward. Within seconds his lungs were heaving and his heart was pumping harder than it had in a very long time. He wasn’t used to running but his long strides made him a fairly fast runner. Unfortunately, someone else was faster.

The stranger tackled him to the ground and he let out a sharp cry as he crashed into the dirt. Whomever it was held him in place so hard he thought his bones would break. Then he felt strong arms turn him over and the stranger straddled his arms and chest, holding him in place.

“Where ya going, Rhett?” Caleb asked, smirking horribly. “The fun’s just getting started.”


	17. Chapter 17

He didn't want to, really. He didn't want the police to get involved, but Max was his best friend and he was barely alive. Theo held him on his lap while Link paced the room, trying not to look at the blood splattered everywhere. The bartender-turned werewolf managed to do a decent job to stop the flow, and it looked as if the bullet had missed Max’s heart, but he was out cold. If the paramedics didn't show up soon, he wasn't long for this world.

“Why?” Link asked no one. “Why would he do this?”

“He's desperate,” Theo offered, leaning against the wall from his spot on the floor. “I've seen it before. He can seem so calm and collected, so… put together.” He shook his head, looking off in the distance, but his eyes didn't see the bar around him. “But inside, he’s…” Sad eyes turned to find Link, standing still to listen closer. “I've seen the wolf turn good men into monsters, but Seth is not a man. He is a demon in fancy clothes.”

Link stared at Theo, his jaw set and his hands trembling. He wanted to be more sympathetic about the dying man not five feet from him. He wanted to not be afraid about what was happening to the love of his life, somewhere out there with very dangerous men, but all he could think about was how he had missed it. Link had stared the devil in the face and shook his hand. The phrase ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ had never been so accurate. How had he not seen it? He had been completely fooled by a demon with a charming smile... and now...

“That demon has my best friend.”

~ ~ ~

With Caleb’s help, Rhett was easily carried back into the house and down the stone steps into the basement. It was fairly sparse down there, with a concrete floor and barren, unfinished walls. A single light hung from the ceiling, which Seth clicked on with a quick tug of a string. It dimly illuminated the large room and the ominous piece of furniture set up in the center of the cold space.

A cage, about four foot square and ten feet tall, sat open, waiting for Rhett with a heavy iron door that matched the rest of the giant metal structure. The thick grey bars were solid but marked with numerous scratch marks, undoubtedly made by a very large animal. This was not a cage for a simple dog.

“Do you like it?” Caleb asked, seeing Rhett examining the cage. “I had it custom made for mutts just like you.” As they got closer, and the full scope of the room come into view, he saw that this device was for more than just simple containment. On the bars of the right side, ran a set of tracks with large gears set into them. These connected to the roof of the cage, which Rhett now realized was unique as well. The entire top was lined with sharp spikes, stained with blood, pointed downwards. A giant stone block was placed on top; it looked like it weighed a literal ton. 

Not far away, tucked nearly out of sight, a small crucible sat over a cold fire. A metallic substance sat inside, it’s disfigured surface glittering slightly in the dim light. Beside it were a few odd tools, a few Rhett could identify but others he could not. All together the entire set up looked like something out of the Spanish inquisition.

The three brothers stuffed Rhett inside the cage and slammed the door shut behind him. Using a large key, Seth secured the door before stepping back. 

“Sorry about the head room,” he shrugged, watching as Rhett ducked to avoid the spikes. “Never had someone as tall as you in there before.” With one last glance at Caleb, almost as if to say ‘he’s all yours’, Seth headed back up the stairs. Damian paused at the base of the stairs, sending Rhett a sympathetic shrug.

“You brought this on yourself, Rhett,” he said. “Now make it easy on yourself. Tell him what he wants to know, while you still have a chance.” Rhett didn't reply at first; all this time he hadn't found the words to say that could make these men let him go. As Damian turned to follow his brothers out, Rhett grabbed the bars of his prison and croaked out a question.

“What do you want from me?” The shorter man turned and regarded him for a moment before answering.

“Get some rest. We’ll talk later.”

~ ~ ~

Link didn't even realize he had fallen asleep when he was jostled awake by Theo. He jolted slightly in his chair, almost knocking his glasses off of his face. At first he thought he was back home, sitting in the big living room chair downstairs having fallen asleep once again. When his eyes adjusted, he saw Theo standing over him, and the bright fluorescent light above him. They were in the hospital waiting room. In this late (or early) hour they were alone; the attending nurse was away making her rounds.

“You should go,” he was telling Link. His own face was ragged and exhausted, his eyes terribly bloodshot. “You need to find Rhett.” 

“How’s Max?” Theo managed a small smile at Link’s concern but it was half-hearted.

“There’s nothing you can do here, Link. The doctors will do what they can but…” Link grabbed Theo’s arm as his words failed. His tear-streaked face threatened to moisten yet again, but he held back the tears knowing he wouldn't be able to stop them. “Find Alistair, the mutt leader. Here-” he handed over a small slip of paper with an address scribbled on it- “It’s one of his safe houses. He might be able to find out where the Lowells have Rhett stashed.”

“Wuh... well why would he listen to me?” Link had never even spoken with the mutts more than once, and it wasn't with the most pleasant of tones.

“I called him, told him you were going to pay them a visit. I have to stay here in case… in case…”

“Max will be fine,” Link stated. He didn't believe it; he wished he could but he had seen the damage that one bullet had done. Still, he tried to exude as much positivity as possible, to keep Theo’s hopes as high as he could. “Thank you... for helping me.” Getting to his feet, Link stretched the ache out of his bones. 

“I know you two are close,” Theo told him without judgement, “but Rhett’s my friend too-”

“I’ll find him.” There was no uncertainty, there was no question. Link had to find Rhett, there was no other option. He just hoped he could find him quickly before anything terrible happened to him.

~ ~ ~

The Lowells left Rhett alone for the rest of the night, thankfully. He wasn’t sure he could stay awake much longer anyhow. The cage wasn’t even close to comfortable but, curling up in a somewhat fetal position, he managed to at least fit well enough inside the small space. His tall frame pressed against the cold bars and by the time the sun rose his body was aching all over. He promised never to complain about getting a small bed at a hotel ever again.

“Rise and shine, cupcake,” came a voice. Rhett didn’t stir, but held perfectly still. Moving hurt. There was an extremely slim chance that if he pretended to be asleep, he would be left alone. Too slim. The burly man kicked the bottom of the cage, causing it to shake, and vibrations ran through Rhett's body. “Come on now, daylight’s a wastin’.” Defeated, Rhett opened his eyes to see one of his captures standing in front of him. He didn't know much about Caleb; never really talked to him but Theo had said of the three Lowell brothers, this one was the worst. Unlike the others he had a real thirst for inflicting pain. “You can rest later. I want to have a chat.”

Groaning, Rhett pushed himself into a seated position. It hurt less to stay down. That seemed to suit Caleb just fine as he unfolded a metal chair he had been carrying and sat down before his prisoner.

“Now then, we’re shall we begin?”

“I don’t know anything,” Rhett mumbled, blinking his weary eyes.

“That’s fine with me, honestly. You can tell me everything or nothing. In fact-” Caleb grinned a wicked grin. “I’d prefer if you give me nothing. More fun for me.” Rhett squinted at the man. He was wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans, much like the first day they had met. His sleeves were pulled back, showing off his muscular arms. His hands were folded together as he leaned forward, elbows on knees. There was a scent about him, not like perfume or B.O., something a human nose would pick up. This was something else. A wolfy scent; it smelled like arrogance and pride. It smelled like someone who knew they held all the cards. There was something else, something more subtle and it took even Rhett’s keen senses to understand what it was: excitement. His skin radiated the smell of his delight.

“I don’t know where the mutts are, please,” Rhett implored. “I didn’t want to get involved with your fight.”

“Fight?” Caleb sounded the word in his mouth, testing it, tasting it. “No, Rhett. This isn't a fight, it's a war. It’s been a war since before you were even born, and it will continue until one side or the other is wiped out. There’s no other way. In the meantime…” He leaned back, stretching out his legs, like a cocky jock. “We might as well enjoy it.” Rhett said nothing. He wasn’t going to beg for his life, not yet. He didn’t want to give this man the satisfaction. He wasn’t going to answer any questions, not that he knew the answer to any of them anyway. He was telling the truth when he said he didn’t know anything. He and Link had kept out of the fight as much as they could and that left them ignorant of so much. 

“Still, we don’t want you to starve before the good part so..” Caleb slapped his thighs and got to his feet. “You just sit tight. I’ll see what we can do to get some food in ya. Might be awhile. Maybe in the meantime you can put some thought into were those mutts are, huh?”

“I don't know!” Rhett surprised himself with his shout, but Caleb wasn’t phased. No doubt he’d seen this all before, probably in this very room. The man smirked and walked over to the side of the cage with the gears. 

“I designed this myself, you know,” he bragged, grabbing a large handle on the side of the cage. “Custom built to hold mutts. Now, it’s certainly unpleasant for most humans, too, but that’s not what it’s for.” He looked down at Rhett, waiting for the curious question to be asked, but it never came so he continued. “It’s very simple, really. It’s built to hold even the most fierce of werewolves. Not even Seth could break out of it. See this?” He tapped the handle. “All I have to do, is crank it up a bit and-” he turned the winch, lifting the roof of the cage an inch or so- “and then I can lower it as far as I want.” Using strength no doubt ten times that of a normal human, Caleb lowered the roof of the cage an entire foot before stopping. It locked into place with a clang. “It goes all the way to the floor, you know.”

Rhett swallowed, instinctively cowering away from the approaching spikes, but they didn’t fall. Right now Caleb wasn’t trying to hurt him, just intimidate him, and it was working spectacularly. Rhett was beginning to understand what his future held. His captor stepped back to the front of the cage.

“You’re going to squish me,” Rhett guessed. Caleb shook his head.

“Nothing so quick. Don’t worry. You’ll figure it out soon enough. I’ll check back in a few hours with some grub. Sit tight and don’t go nowhere.” With a chuckle, the man picked up his folding chair, leaning it against the far wall, then headed back up the stairs. Rhett was once again left alone with his thoughts, none of which gave him any comfort.


	18. Chapter 18

Link pulled up to the trailer home early in the afternoon. He’d seen similar places in the backwoods of North Carolina; A single wide with rusted aluminum siding and broken out windows. Never before had he ever felt so apprehensive about approaching a house back home, however. Now he was feeling vaguely terrified. There was also the strong sense of choicelessness. He needed to find Rhett and this was the only way to do that.

Here on this middle-of-nowhere road, well outside of the city limits, Link wasn’t even sure he’d be able to get cell service to call for help if anything happened. It looked like something out of a horror movie and it took him a few minutes to build up enough courage to get out of the car. Even then he took very slow steps up to the front door, scared that a crazy man with a double barrel shotgun was going to come out shooting at any second.

Stepping over the cracked stone path, and up the metal steps to the door, he knocked with some confidence. The door shook with every hit, shaking off dirt and dust from the slanted roof. After a minute or so there still was no answer. Twice more he knocked; he didn’t seen any sign of a doorbell. Finally he tested the door. It wasn’t locked. Desperate and impatient, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.

“Hello?” he called out into the darkened room. The stench of old takeout, dirty dishes, and general dampness permeated the space, stinging Link’s nostrils. Under it all there was a distinct scent of dog… no, something bigger. Maybe to a human’s untrained nose it was dog, but Link knew better. This was werewolf. The whole place reeked of it in the worst way. He couldn’t tell how recently, but someone had been staying here. “Anyone here?”

A creek in the floorboards, a flash of beige and before Link could say another word he was thrown against the open door. Acting on instinct, he pivoted towards the opening, ducking down and under a very large arm that was trying to pin him in place. He managed to get free, but he found himself stumbling out of the trailer, barely staying on his feet and eventually finding footing a yard away. Looking up he got his first real look at his attacker. It was Alistair.

“Fuck, man!” he exclaimed. “What the hell?”

“What are you doing here, Link?” Alistair demanded, like a parent about to scold a child. “You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up.”

“Theo sent me-”

“He _said_ he was sending a friend over. Didn’t tell me it’d be you.” He backed off a little, but maintained a stance of dominance as he stared Link down. Sure he was only a few inches taller than Link, but he looked like he could bench press the trailer behind him without a second thought. “You better have a damn fine reason for coming here, Link.”

“It’s… it’s Rhett. He’s… Seth took him. At gunpoint,” he added.

“And you thought… what? That I could do something about it?”

“Max’s been shot!” At this, Allistair visually flinched, but he didn’t stop glaring. It was as if he didn’t want to be distracted from his tough guy routine. 

“Is he alive?” There was a slight lilt to his voice, a crack in his veneer, and Link latched onto it.

“I… I don’t know. He’s in the hospital. Theo’s with him.” Link gave a heavy sigh and he slumped slightly. Almost as if that gave him strength, Alistair set his jaw again and stood taller.

“You see him get shot?”

“N-no, but I saw him… on the floor…”

“And now Rhett’s been taken.” It wasn’t a question. “I told you. I _told_ you, Link. You can’t hide from this war. Now you’re just like the rest of us. Now you’ve lost someone too.” That did it. Something inside of Link snapped and he crossed the short distance between them with fire in his eyes. Pointing a finger right at the other man’s face, Link stood toe to toe with him.

“You don’t tell me that!” he shouted, his face red and furious. “You don’t get to just write off my best friend without even trying. He’s still alive, and you are going to _fucking_ help me find him!” Alistair was taken aback for a moment, genuinely surprised at Link’s fury, but he wasn’t scared in the slightest. If anything, after Link’s outburst, he looked… cocky.

“Leave. Us. Alone,” he quoted. “Isn’t that what you said? I told you you’d have to deal with other wolves, and you brushed me off. I told you were in the middle of this shit, and you ignored me.” He shoved Link back, nearly knocking him to the ground, but with such ease it had to be just a fraction of his strength. “Well, way to wake up, buddy. Welcome to the party. Guess what? You’re on your own. You didn’t want to pick sides, fine. You’re not on our side, and we’re not on yours. You want your precious Rhett back, go fucking get him yourself. I have my own people to worry about.”

“But… I don’t…”

“Good luck.” Turning around, Alistair went to go back into the trailer. Link was hot on his heels. Rhett’s life was on the line. Damn if Link was going to leave here with nothing just because this guy wanted to be an asshole.

“Please,” he begged. “You have to help me. You just… you gotta.” Alistair turned to brush him off again, but Link continued. “I know you hate me. Fine. Do it for Rhett; He’s done nothing to you. Do it for Theo; he asked me to come to you. Do it for Max; Seth shot him. If anything do it because you hate the Lowells. I’m going to find Rhett and if any of the pack get in my way…” Alistair cocked an eyebrow, considering Link’s plea before letting out a sigh.

“The Lowells have a hide-away house just north of Twin Lakes. I don’t know where, exactly,” he added, before Link could get too excited. “I never found it, but I know that’s where he likes to take people before he… before he makes them disappear.” It was better than nothing. Now, at least, Link had a starting point.

“Thank you.” He meant it.

“Don’t thank me,” Alistair told him. “Just make them pay for what they did. Make them sorry they ever fucked with our friends.” 

“I promise.” Link would make sure of it.

~ ~ ~

The cage was solid. Rhett searched every inch of it’s bars and ceiling for a weak spot or a way out without any luck. The entire thing was bolted securely into the concrete floor, so even if he was strong enough to lift the heavy structure, that wasn’t an option. The rest of the basement was almost entirely bare; a single cabinet on the far side stood too far away to reach and the window behind him was too small to squeeze through. Even then the glass was reinforced with steel bars. The walls were made of old stonework, solid and impenetrable. This was a dungeon, a prison pure and simple, design to hold the most dangerous of creatures, the wildest of animals.

Maybe he was still exhausted from the whole ordeal, or maybe it was just because there wasn’t anything else to do, but after completing his inspection of his cage, Rhett laid down and slept. It was a few hours later when his jailor reemerged. 

“I hope you’re hungry,” Caleb chirped. Rhett couldn’t tell if the man’s enthusiasm was real or faked, but he didn’t really care. Sitting up he saw his captor standing before him, tray in hand. “Made you something to eat, as promised.” As he knelt down, Caleb placed the metal tray onto the concrete floor about a foot away from the cage. A silver cloche sat in the middle and a bowl of water sat beside it. With a short flourish, he removed the cloche revealing a large plate of what appeared to be gravy-coated meat. It smelled horrible.

“What is that?” Rhett asked before he could stop himself. Caleb smirked as he straightened up. Taking the folding chair off the wall he set it up right in front of Rhett and sat down before talking again.

“I’m not like Seth, you know,” he began. Rhett held his tongue, but he found the statement rather obvious. If Caleb wanted to talk, he wasn’t going to interrupt. “Seth hates mutts… all of you. You know he… he’s obsessed with… with pure bloodlines.” Shaking his head, Caleb leaned back, his eyes looking into the past, or just anywhere that wasn’t in this basement. “Pointless, really, but whatever. Me? I respect the mutts, the rogues, the wild ones. I really do. You’re all so much more in touch with the wolf.”

“Like you?” Rhett asked, during a long pause. Caleb looked over at him, seeming to have forgotten for a moment that he wasn’t alone. Then he smiled that bone-chilling smile.

“Yeah, like me,” he agreed. “Members of the pack here believe we’re more… evolved than mutts. Definitely more than humans, sure, but… than mutts? Mutts are so much more intuned with nature, becoming one with their true selves. If it was up to Seth, well… he’d wipe you all out. Every last one of you.”

“Not you, though?”

“Hell, no. If Seth wants to make the bloodline more pure, who’s more werewolf than a mutt? His humanity is constantly tested, the wolf always trying to get out. It’s a fight, a pure internal conflict. Purebloods? They’ve all been trained since birth to calm the beast, to…” He swirled his hands around, trying to find the right words to explain. “They don’t let it take control. They treat it like a pet, not like the wild animal it is. The wolf is a majestic creature that deserves to be treated with the respect it deserves. Know what I’m saying?” Of course, Rhett nodded in agreement.

“Yeah. Yeah, I think I do. You want more mutts in your pack?”

“Absolutely. There’s quite a few already in the pack. Does that surprise you?” Caleb added, seeing the confusion on Rhett’s face. “The days of the mighty wolf houses are all but gone, my friend. Nowadays the pack will take anyone willing to play by the rules. Of course, the alternative is… well…” With a chuckle, he gestured towards the cage.

“Your way or the highway, huh,” Rhett surmised.

“That’s how Seth likes to run things. Sure many folks join the pack genuinely wanting to, knowing it’s safer in numbers, or realizing that it’s better than going it alone. Still, some don’t want to join up, and then they we have to teach him there really isn’t a choice.” Standing up, Caleb pushed the tray forward with his feet, right up to the edge of the cage. “You live in the pack, or you die like a dog.”

“Nice to know I have options,” Rhett mumbled, eyeing the food with suspicion. Caleb ignored his comment, walking over to the controls on the cage’s ceiling. With a grunt, he turned the crank and lowered the spikes down another foot. Everything settled into place with a clang and Rhett couldn’t help but flinch. It was way too close, even with him sitting down. 

“Eat up, or don’t,” Caleb said, sauntering back to his chair, picking it up and putting it away. "Not long now before sunset, my friend. You know, one good thing about being a pureblood, the moon doesn’t hold as much sway over us.” He pointed at the small window. “When the moon tells you to turn, you turn, and if you don’t tell us what we want to know…” He pointed at the spikes. “Those will make it very uncomfortable for your bigger self.” Rhett swallowed, finally understanding. The cage was cramped at best, sure, but he was human now. If he turned into his giant werewolf-self in here… He didn’t want to think about what those spikes would do to him, even with his regenerative powers.

“I don’t know where the mutts are,” he insisted. “I don’t!” Caleb shrugged, heading for the exit.

“I told you, I don’t really care.” His grin returned with a vengeance, broad and slightly demented. “It’s been far too long since I’ve had a guest down here. I’m eager to see how things turn out either way.” With that, Rhett was once again left alone in the dark cellar. 

After a moment he poked the food, half out of curiosity and half out of real hunger. It took only a smidgen of taste to figure out it was dog food. He pushed it away in disgust. He wasn’t that hungry yet.


	19. Chapter 19

“Max is dying.” The words were spoken softly, but without question. Theo’s voice was thick with sorrow, but also acceptance. He was never one to cling hope when there was none. Still, the fact that his best friend was not long for this world was laying heavy on him, and Link could hear it in his tone.

“Can you just…? I mean, couldn’t you…?” He didn’t want to butt in to something that wasn’t exactly his business, but he wanted to do something, and he was still miles away by car, even speeding as he was.

“Turn him?” Theo filled in. Of course it was the obvious suggestion yet he hesitated. “I can’t do that to him. I can’t make him… like me. I don’t…” He swallowed, choking slightly on his response. “I never wanted him to be involved in this world. When we met, I had already left the Lowells and I just wanted... just…” 

“You just wanted normal,” Link finished for him. He understood. It’s what Rhett wanted, not that long ago, before Link got turned. He was willing to keep Link out of his personal life, forsaking any chance for a relationship between them just to protect him from the curse, or whatever this was. But that wasn’t enough. There was never a day that Link regretted being turned. At least he still had Rhett.

“Look,” he told Theo. “I get it. I really do, but what did Max want? Did you ever talk to him about it?” Silence. A pregnant pause so long Link thought maybe the bartender was done talking, but then he spoke up again.

“Not… specifically. I mean, I told him what I was and... All he said was he wasn’t afraid of me.” Theo gave a short chuckle. “I told him he was an idiot. He should have been terrified.”

“Maybe he shouldn’t join us, maybe it would be putting him through hell but…” ‘ _Don’t do it, Link. It’s none of your business._ ’ “Is he awake?”

“He’s resting. He’s got a few hours left. Tops.”

“Maybe you should ask him. He’s a good friend, and I think he deserves a say, don’t you?” Another pause, shorter this time.

“I can’t let my desire for him to live cloud my judgement.” He sounded certain. He sounded scared. “I don’t want to put him through-”

“Best friends are worth suffering for,” Link interrupted, “and I’m sure Max knows well enough what he’s getting into. Far more than most, I think. Let him choose.” 

“J-just find Rhett. I’ll handle… things here.” Link let it go. It was something between Max and Theo; they would have to sort it out on their own. In the meantime, there was more to think about. 

“Alistair said the Lowells have a house north of Twin Lakes. I’m headed there now. You know it?”

“Heard rumors, but I don’t know where exactly. If Chris was here,” Theo mused, “he’d be able to sniff out the place. That was what he was good at. He was always good at using his werewolf nose to find people. Rhett too, I guess.”

“But that means staying in hybrid form,” Link surmised. “I- I haven’t learned to do that yet.”

“What about Alistair? Would he be willing to help?”

“He barely wanted to give me the time of day. I don’t think he ever wants to see my face again. He wasn’t exactly happy to see me at all.”

“I’m sorry. He can be a bit… abrasive. I thought for this he’d be more accommodating.”

“We didn’t exactly hit it off the first time we met.”

“I didn’t know you- Well, if I’d known you had a history…” Another voice spoke up, barely audible, and Theo’s voice got quiet as well. Moments later he returned. “It’s the doc. Max is awake again. I better go.”

“Remember what I said, okay? I’m sure Max would rather live.” It was a little crazy, he had to admit that, but it was true. He just hoped it was the right decision.

“I will, Link. Find Rhett.” No goodbye. No good luck. Just a click and then silence, but the sentiment was there. If only he had been able to offer his own words of encouragement; Theo needed them as much as anybody right now. Link went back to focusing on driving. He was still many miles away from Twin Lakes. He still had a long ways to go.

~ ~ ~

Rhett could feel the beast rising within him, and the sun was low in the sky. Looking through the small window behind his prison, Rhett felt all his senses reaching their peak. His eyes pierced through the shadows of the darkened room, his nose took in every scent. His ears could hear the wind outside, the sway of nearby trees and the numerous birds and rodents scurrying through the brush. He was aware of everything, and this was just the beginning.

Every cell in his body was ready; ready for the change, ready for the moon to rise and the night to begin. He could feel the wolf inside, surging beneath his consciousness, eager to emerge and be unleashed. He’d felt it many times before and it had been a long time since he had feared it. There was no freedom here, no elation in the release, only pain. Looking up at the daunting spikes hanging above him, he hoped his captors were only bluffing when it came to their use. Surely they wouldn’t be that cruel.

The sun got lower and though he could not see it, Rhett could feel the moon’s power over him growing. Months of training gave him some confidence that he could stay human, at least for awhile longer, but if he did change he wasn’t sure what would happen. Maybe in wolf form he could fit in this increasingly smaller cage, but he hoped it wouldn’t come to that. There was also the chance that his deranged tormenter would lower the ceiling even further making it impossible to hide from the sharp spikes at all. From the looks of the device, it seemed built to be lowered all the way to the floor, if desired.

Eventually, Caleb returned, looking as cocky as ever. Of course, Rhett couldn’t really see a reason for him not to feel cocky; he was in control, there was no doubt about that. Rhett’s only hope was that someone would find out he was being held here, and that they could come and rescue him. The list of people capable of doing that was rather short, unfortunately. Link, of course. He wouldn’t hesitate to come looking for Rhett, no matter what the risk, but in the waning daylight, he would soon be all but useless. Unable to control his hybrid form, Link would turn into a wolf and his human mind would soon be lost until dawn.

There was always Theo. He was, perhaps, Rhett’s best bet. Although he would be grief-stricken over the death of his best friend, he would be driven to at least pay back the Lowells in kind. He was willing to fight and kill, though hopefully it wouldn’t come to either. Still, would he know where this apparently secret hideout was?

Alistair might, but he was still such a wild card. Theo knew him, but barely, and from what Rhett had already seen there wasn’t exactly trust there. The mutts had good reason to hate Theo, including their leader. Though he might know exactly where Rhett was, there was no reason to believe that Alistair would actually want to help rescue him. Still, there was always hope. There had to be.

“Almost moon time, pretty boy,” Caleb mocked. He saw the tray of ‘food’ he had left hours ago had remained untouched and smirked, not surprised in the least. “You didn’t like your food? But I prepared it myself. Used the can-opener and everything.” With a laugh, he kicked the tray aside with his foot.

“Please,” Rhett half begged. “Don’t do this. I don’t know where the mutts are. I don’t have what you want!”

“Maybe you do, maybe you don’t.” Stepping to the side of the cage, Caleb grasped the handle on the cage’s roof once more and Rhett braced himself. “I told you, I don’t really care at this point. Seth does, but I’m happy either way.” With a loud clank, the ceiling of spikes was lowered down another foot. Now, at only three feet tall, Rhett’s prison went from unbearable to almost impossible. Lying on his side, curled up like a dog, he could do nothing but plead with his captor. Unfortunately, Caleb didn’t care in the slightest for his victim's cries.

“You know what will make those spikes rise, my friend,” he taunted, standing far enough away that even Rhett’s long arms couldn’t reach him. “Information. Anything, really. Anything that will help us find the mutts.”

“But I don’t know!” Rhett’s shout turned into a beastial sound that raged from inside. The wolf was so close now, the fear of being trapped making it harder to keep at bay. It wanted out and it wanted it now. 

“You don’t have much time left. The sun has already set.” Looking up, Rhett saw he was right. The light of the sun was fading fast over the horizon and he could sense the wolf knew what that meant. A strong, itching feeling ran over the man’s skin; the first sign of the change. Looking up, he saw Caleb was taking off his clothing, showing off his own transformation. “Just give in. You can’t hold out forever.” Pulling off his shirt and quickly removing his shoes and socks, he was barely out of his pants before fur began sprouting all over his body. 

His face elongated into a fierce snout and giant fangs formed from his teeth. His arms and legs grew even more muscular and sharp claws emerged from his fingernails. A great, sweeping tail completed the body as his height grew several feet. It was a sight Rhett had seen many times, watching Link and Theo, and felt himself as well. It was as familiar as breathing and now, watching it while trying to keep himself from changing, was absolutely agonizing. It was a tease, a taunt, and his own wolf was desperate to follow suit. It took every ounce of Rhett’s strength to hold it back. He couldn’t, not now, not without being impaled by a set of very large, very sharp spikes.

Once Caleb’s hybrid form was finished, he looked down at his prisoner with what could have been considered a smile, if anything on a huge wolf-man could ever be considered a smile. He stepped closer, placing a large clawed-hand on the top of the cage, threatening to press down and pushed his muzzle right next to Rhett.

“Impressive, truly, but no mutt can stop the change indefinitely.” A short chuckle escaped his canine maw and Rhett had to restrain himself from striking out. It’s starting to hurt now, keeping his own beast at bay, and his senses are practically exploding. Every inch of his body was on fire, feeling everything a thousand times more than ever. Sweat had broken out over his skin and his clothing was quickly soaked. His eyes burned from the dim light coming from the hanging light and his ears were pounding from the beating of his own heart. It was terrifying.

“I…! D-don’t… Knooow!” he managed. He could feel his mouth trying to transform into that of a wolf, his teeth becoming too sharp for his soft, tender human lips. A slight taste of blood filled his mouth, but he couldn’t focus on it. He couldn’t focus on any one thing, overwhelmed by everything at once.

“You’ve spoken with them though, see my problem? So you know more than you think. Come on. Just give something and I’ll let you sleep.” Glancing at the crank, Caleb seemed to get a horrible idea and grasped it with his now giant hand. “Or maybe I should let this go and see how small you can really get.” Sandy-brown fur was starting to push it way through Rhett’s skin, and he could feel his bones starting to grow and bend into a much larger shape. Despite his best efforts, he was getting bigger and the cold steel of the spikes was beginning to push into his back.

“Shh--se-quoia!” he shrieked. It was the best he could do and he didn’t even think about if he should give this information. All he wanted was for the pain to stop. ‘ _Please, god, make it stop._ ’

It seemed like eternity before finally, _finally_ , the spikes were retracted. Looking up he saw Caleb raising the ceiling back to its highest slot, and Rhett let out a sigh of relief. It still wasn’t big enough for his hybrid form, but he didn’t care. He didn’t want to keep his mind right now anyway. He wanted the comfort of ignorance, the freedom of being entirely unaware. He wanted to hide in the mind of the wolf, let it take over and endure the reality of this prison. Tomorrow he would wake in the same place, the same cage, with the same jailer, but right now he wanted to sleep. 

It took only a few seconds for his wolf form to completely take over and soon Rhett, the person, was gone. The wolf shook off the loose bits of torn clothing and turned to see it’s new surroundings. He was trapped, he was scared, but more than that, he was furious. He snarled at Caleb, who only laughed a deep, throaty laugh. The wolf snapped at this other creature, this beast that dared oppose him, but it did no good. He was still trapped.

“Easy there,” Caleb gloated, stepping back. “You did good, pup. Rest now, for when the moon is gone, we start again.” The sound of Caleb’s laugh echoed in the wolf’s ears long after he was gone. He didn’t understand what was said, but he knew if he ever got out of this damned cage, he would tear that creature’s throat out.


	20. Chapter 20

The first thing Link noticed was that he was cold. A chill shiver ran down the length of his body and his hands shook as they grasped for a blanket that wasn’t there. He whined in frustration, thinking for a moment that Rhett had taken all the covers again, but when he reached out to find his boyfriend beside him, there was no one there. Link opened his eyes and the next thing he noticed was green.

Lots of green.

He squinted to see clearer without his glasses, but he didn’t recognize his surroundings. Continuing his tactile search of his environment, his glasses weren’t in their normal bedside spot. Neither was his nightstand. He realized he wasn’t even in his bed, and then he noticed he was completely naked.

Then he remembered.

Getting to his feet, Link rubbed arms, trying to warm up. He had no idea where he had ended up, but he remembered where he had left off last night. On the north side of Twin Lakes, the town Alistair had told him about, Link had parked his car well out of sight. He didn’t have much to go on besides North, so North was the direction he began to hike. He knew it was a useless venture to try and find the Lowells, and therefore Rhett, just by wandering around in the woods, but he hoped to get a head start before his wolf self took over. Maybe then he wouldn’t have to go as far in hybrid form. Besides, he didn’t want to be anywhere near civilization once he changed, just in case he couldn’t control it. He would never have been able to forgive himself if he'd hurt or infected anyone.

But where was he now? He remembered feeling the change coming, irresistible and insatiable. The need to scratch every part of his body, the drive to run wild through the trees. He thought he was prepared to control it, but it was even more difficult being in these strange woods, without Rhett by his side. Once he had removed his clothes, car keys, wallet, phone and glasses, placing them all carefully into a duffel bag in his car, he had let the change happen, maintaining a hybrid form for almost two minutes before he couldn’t hold it any longer. The call of the moon was too much apparently, and now he could be miles away from where he started and no closer to finding his best friend.

~ ~ ~

Rhett felt the cold concrete floor beneath his naked body and at first he thought he was back in Theo’s holding room. When he opened his eyes, he desperately wished he was there, or anywhere else really. Instead he was still in the damp, dingy basement of a prison, trapped in a cage that could either hold him forever or end his life on a whim. He wanted to cry.

Sitting up, making sure the spikes had not been lowered more while he out, he checked himself over. In fact, the spikes had been brought up to their original position, high above him. While this gave him more room to move around, it brought him little in the way of comfort. The pain from his torture was gone, replaced by a dull ache. The wounds were healed completely, but his flesh still remembered how they’d felt, and his muscles were sore from being in this cage for going on thirty-plus hours. His clothes, for the most part, had been shredded, the seams and stitches no match for his late night change in size. Scraps of denim and flannel littered the bottom of the cage. He pulled the last remnant of a sleeve from his arm and sighed. He didn’t hold out any hope that his captures would give him anything decent to wear. As he searched around for anything large enough to hide his modesty, he saw the food tray had returned, this time with real food. 

Cautious and more than a little suspicious, Rhett leaned closer to get a better look. On a paper plate were two waffles. Ego, by the look of it. There was no syrup or butter, but Rhett’s mouth salivated from the sight, and his stomach rumbled angrily. It was a far better offering than the dog food from the day before and he didn’t hesitate long to reach out and grab one. It was still warm.

He downed both waffles quickly, leaving barely a crumb behind, and while he was still hungry, he felt better to have something in his stomach. Only once he had finished everything did he wonder who had brought the food down here for him in the first place. It couldn't have been Caleb, surely. Not after the ‘meal’ he served Rhett yesterday. Then who…?

“Good morning.” Without even thinking, Rhett grabbed up the remains of his clothes and covered himself. Coming down the stairs was Damian, who didn’t seem to care in the slightest about Rhett’s embarrassment. “I hope the waffles were still warm. I wasn’t sure when you’d wake up.”

“How long do I have?” Rhett asked, sardonically. Damian gave a small smile as he picked up the empty tray.

“Poison isn’t really our style,” he commented. “Besides, you’re worth more to us alive.”

“I don’t know anything else.”

“You know more than you think.” Leaning against a nearby wall, Damian regarded Rhett with a keen eye. “Yesterday you said you didn’t know anything, and yet, under pressure, you gave us Sequoia National Forest.” Flashes back to the night before ran through Rhett’s mind. He hadn’t been thinking clearly, if at all. Now he wasn't sure if he should have said anything. 

“Unfortunately for you, we searched the woods all last night and didn’t see any sign of the mutts. Nothing recent, anyway. They must have just have cleared out. I guess you’ll be staying with us longer.” He turned to leave, but Rhett stumbled to his feet, one hand still covering his privates, and the other grasped onto the bars of the cage.

“Wait!” Damian paused, wary. “Tell me: why is your brother doing this? Why are you and Seth letting him?” Without turning around, he lowered his head with a sigh.

“We’re not really brothers,” he muttered, sadly.

“What?” Rhett wasn’t sure he’d heard right. Now looking back, Damian shrugged.

“Caleb, Seth and I. We’re not really brothers. We grew up together, in the pack, and I guess people thought we looked alike so they just assumed… and we liked the idea so we ran with it. We’d been friends since we were kids and we loved doing everything together so it was like, why not be brothers? We’re brothers in the pack, so that was close enough.” 

“Sorta Like me and Link, huh?” Rhett didn’t really want to talk about Link, but he wanted to keep Damian talking. Maybe he could get the man on his side. “Met in first grade. Pretty much inseparable since.” 

“Yeah? Wow. I mean, Caleb and Seth, we… we had the pack to be with. I mean, it wasn’t like there were a lot of kids we could hang out with, but you guys…” He let out an impressed whistle. “You had a choice and you stuck together.”

“He’s my best friend. Closer than family. Closer than blood, you know?” Damian nodded, but his eyes weren’t exactly focused on the present.

“He’s your pack…” he murmured. 

“Y-yeah. I guess he always was, even before the change.” Damian seemed to dwell on this a moment be speaking again.

“I didn’t want this to happen, you know,” he blurted. “I wanted things to go differently. It didn’t have to end this way...” There was the slightest hint of wetness in his eye before he realized what he was saying. Looking up, he gave Rhett a strange, blank stare. Then, without another word, he headed back up the stairs.

“Wait, please!” This time, Damian didn’t come back and Rhett was, once again, alone in the basement.

~ ~ ~

While he couldn’t be sure how far or how long he’d been wandering through these woods, Link knew he was getting closer to something when the smell of burning logs met his nostrils. A campfire, or maybe a fireplace, was nearby. A warm hearth sounded mighty nice right now. Still shivering, Link searched the skies for any sign of smoke and was relieved to see a thin trail to the North-West. He turned and immediately headed for it.

Before long, though it seemed much longer, he stumbled from the rough, brush-covered woods to a grassy clearing. A small house, barely a cottage, sat on the hill with a single car out front. Neither looked like much, but Link didn’t care. Keeping one hand strategically placed, he dashed across the open area to the front door, his mind desperately trying to come up with a good reason as to why he was showing up to a stranger’s house completely naked. Still shivering, he rang the doorbell and hoped for the best. He half expected Little Red Riding Hood to answer the door.

After a moment or two, a middle-aged woman opened the door, just a few inches, and peeked out at the odd gentleman on her front porch. She eyed him him up and down, and then down again before opening the door further. There was definitely a look of surprise on her face, and Link couldn’t blame her in the slightest. He decided to get a jump on the conversation before she had a chance to ask.

“Ah, I, um…” Unfortunately, he still hadn’t come up with a good cover story. At least, not one that didn’t involve drugs or alcohol, both of which seemed the obvious answer. Lucky for him, the woman seemed nice enough, she even smiled sweetly.

“You want a blanket?” she asked, with a lilt of humor in her voice.

“Yes ma’am,” Link admitted, sheepishly. He couldn’t help but smile when he heard the softest of laughter as the two of them stepped further inside. Link had to admit, it was pretty funny, and at least the woman thought so and not that he was dangerous. He certainly didn’t feel dangerous. 

Inside he made his way to the living room, a cozy little room with a fireplace, burning nicely. Link stood next to it, resisting the urge to rub his cold butt before it, simply hunching over, trying to hide his shame while he waited for the promised blanket. The woman, a petite brunet with more than a few greying hairs, grabbed a large brown and white quilt from another room and wrapped it around the naked man, turning around so he could adjusted it better. Muttering a polite thank you, Link curled inside it, relishing in the warmth it provided. He felt much better now, and his senses were starting to come back, including his manners.

“I didn’t catch your name,” he noted, sorry that he didn’t ask before coming into some woman’s home.

“Grace,” she told him, heading over to the adjoined kitchen. “Didn’t catch yours either, dear. Or should I just call you Willy?” Link blushed, smiling an embarrassed smile. He didn’t really want to give her his real name, but the innuendo was far too much for him to handle.

“Charlie.” Ok, so, it was his real name, but not the name millions of people knew him by. It was common enough, and it was easy to remember. He wasn’t very good at lying anyhow. From the kitchen he could hear the clink of metal on china, and then a microwave being opened and closed.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Charlie,” Grace was saying. “Do you like marshmallows?” An odd question, but then this was an odd situation. Instead of dwelling on the question, Link just answered.

“Not really.” The microwave beeped and Grace opened it up and closed it again. Link couldn’t see what she had made, at first, but when she came back into the room with a steaming cup in her hand, he had a very good guess.

“I don’t have any coffee or tea,” she explained “But this should warm you up good.” She handed the hot chocolate to her guest, who took it gingerly with a grin.

“Thanks. It’s perfect.” It was also very hot, and Link had to wait a bit before really drinking it. While he waited, Grace motioned for him to sit in one of the fluffy chairs by the fire. She took the couch.

“Now, Charlie,” she began, sweet as honey. “I’m guessing you had a rough night.” Link couldn’t agree more.

“Yeah, I uh, I did…” Still didn’t have a good explanation.

“Well, that happens to the best of us, dear.” She gave another short chuckle. Her smile was so kind; Link was so shocked about her next question that he nearly dropped his cup. “Tell me. How long have you been a werewolf?”


	21. Chapter 21

“What?” Link wasn’t sure he’d heard the question right. Surely he couldn’t have. There was no way. Keeping his breathing steady, he tried to maintain and air of calm, pretending his ears were just a little deaf. Grace didn’t waver, but continued to gaze understandingly at him with gentle, brown eyes.

“Was this your first moon, dear?” she asked, as if she was just talking about the weather and not the supernatural. “What’s the last thing you remember?” Link was frozen, and not because he was still cold. What could he say? He promised Rhett and Theo that he’d take the secret of his condition, and theirs, to the grave. How would this woman even think to guess such a thing. Unless…

“Are you…?” His voice stuck in his throat, hesitant to even admit the possibility of such truth. Grace was kind though, compassionate. It was as if she’d seen this all before.

“You must be rather new to this, if you can’t tell. I’m just like you. I’m a werewolf.” Link flared his nostrils unconsciously, taking in the scent of the room. There. Beneath the steaming hot chocolate, hidden under the smoke of the fireplace that seeped throughout the house: wolf. It was the same smell when he was around any of the other werewolves, even Rhett. Although, it wasn’t nearly as pleasant as Rhett’s unique wolfy musk.

“I don’t usually,” he managed. “I mean, when I… change. I usually have a place, someone with me.” It seemed pointless to pretend now. At worst, she wasn’t a werewolf and she was messing with him, but then he could always deny it later. It wasn’t like a non-werewolf could prove anything. Right?

“Sometimes the moon sneaks up on us,” Grace agreed with a nod. “Mutts like yourself seem to forget that.” In a flash, she immediately looked guilty over what she had said, and back-peddled a bit. “I don’t mean that you’re lesser, or anything. I just mean you don’t have as much practice. I was trained since birth and it’s second nature for me to keep a close eye on when the moon is going to rise.” A pureblood. Was she a member of the Lowell pack too? Link thought it was extremely likely, and he suddenly didn’t feel as comfortable in this woman's presence. 

‘ _Best to play things close to the chest._ ’

“I’ve only been a w-werewolf for a few months,” Link admitted, giving her a smile back to let her know he wasn’t offended. He wasn’t, really. She was probably right. No doubt purebloods didn’t get caught naked in the woods very often.

“We’re all new at some point, Charlie,” Grace offered. “Even purebloods. Why, my brother ended up naked in our living room all the time, when he was first changing. Had trouble keeping the hybrid form.” She leaned a bit closer and whispered: “if you asked me, I think he wanted to be a wolf. Then he didn’t have to listen to anything Mom and Dad told him.” She giggled softly and Link felt a little better.

“I thought all purebloods were great at controlling their hybrid forms,” he commented, thinking about what Damian had said a while back. 

“Most of us sure do like to perpetuate that myth,” Grace acknowledged. “Purebreds are a lot more like mutts than they want to admit. You didn’t hear it from me, of course,” she added with a sly look.

“Of course,” Link agreed. “So, how long did it take your brother to master the hybrid form?”

“Nearly a year.”

“How did he…? What helped him…?”

“Having a bit of trouble yourself?” Grace guessed. Link nodded slightly, not wanting to admit it. “It’s nothing to be ashamed about. Everyone learns at their own pace, just like everything else in this world.”

“But-” He didn’t mean to argue, but it was a bit of a sensitive nerve with him. “It’s been almost a year. My best friend mastered it in less time. I can’t even…” Grace gave him a sympathetic look.

“You’ve been trying real hard, I take it?” Link nodded. “Maybe that’s your problem.” Seeing Link’s confused expression she continued. “Werewolves, especially male werewolves, love to brute force their way towards success. They want to be able to use their strength to solve every problem, but that’s not the wolf way. The wolf is smart, cunning, and also very patient. You have to be patient, like the wolf.”

“I’ve _been_ patient…”

“During the transformation, I’m guessing you feel… anxiety. Maybe even fear?” Another nod. “You have to relax. Let the change come naturally. Accept it, if only because you cannot stop it. I found that meditation before the moon rises is extremely helpful. A calm mind is more easily controlled.” In a strange way, it sort of made sense. Even when Rhett was there, guiding him, Link had felt pressure to live up to the man’s skill as a werewolf. Pressure he placed on himself. He wanted to be just as good at controlling his change as Rhett, ever since moon one. No matter how much he tried to stop himself, he always felt a least a fraction of nervousness. Thinking back…

“I guess Rh- my friend,” he quickly corrected. “He’s always so much calmer when we change. I guess I was too busy thinking about my own change to notice.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Charlie.” Leaning forward, Grace patted Link’s quilt-covered knee. “The change is an intense experience, and for someone who wasn’t born into it, it can be very jarring.”

“Huh.” Link sat back, sipping his drink and thought about this new information. After a minute or two of silence, he smiled again. “That’s actually helpful. You’re the fist pureblood that’s actually helped me. I mean, Damian said he would but...”

“Is he not going to?” Grace wondered, looking puzzled. “I thought that’s why you were so close to his brother’s house.” 

“His…?” The information hit Link like a truck. Had he actually managed to do it? Had he been on the right track all along and just didn’t notice? A hundred questions surged in his mind. Exactly how close was the house? Which direction was it? Which brother owned it? More questions flew through his mind, important questions, but as he looked up to ask, he heard Grace take a deep breath and he knew he couldn’t ask any of them. A tingle ran up his spine.

“Who _are_ you?” the woman asked, serious and intense. “Why are you really here?”

~ ~ ~

Rhett fully expected to be left alone for a few hours again, left alone with his only his thoughts and his shame as company. He settled in, trying to get as comfortable as possible on the cold floor and was ready to wait out the long hours by himself. It was more than a little surprising when he heard the basement door open and footsteps coming down the stairs. It was Damian. There was a very strong possibility there was a good cop / bad cop thing going on, but Rhett didn’t care. His eyes lit up when he saw what his captor was carrying.

“These probably aren’t long enough for your legs, but it’s better than nothing.” Damian placed the grey sweatpants on the floor and Rhett snatched them up without a second thought. True they only came down to his calves, but the soft fabric was a welcome change from the concrete floor and he instantly felt warmer. He almost sighed in relief.

“Thanks,” he muttered. It felt like poison his tongue to thank the man before him, but Rhett figured if he was nice to him, he’d be nice back. He definitely seemed like the sanest of the three Lowell brothers.

“Yeah,” was all Damian said before turning to head back upstairs.

“Wait!” There were still more questions Rhett needed answered. He couldn’t let another opportunity slip by. There was another, very urgent matter he needed dealt with. “I need to, uh, the bathroom?” Damian turned and his face was blank for a moment as he seemed to consider was Rhett was asking of him.

“Caleb wouldn’t-”

“Is he the pack leader?” Rhett tried to use a tone that wasn’t condescending, but genuinely curious. He didn’t want to taunt the guy, just remind him that he could make decisions for himself. It seemed to work as Damian puffed out his chest slightly and held out his jaw.

“No, of course not. Devon is. Caleb isn’t even in charge around here. Seth is the second hand man.”

“Do you think Devon would mind if I got out to pee?” Another moment of consideration. This time it led to a heavy frown.

“I’m not letting you out, Rhett,” he assured him.

“You’re not going to make me pee all over the floor, are you? It’s bad enough in here without the smell of piss.” Plus there was the humiliation of continuing to be treated as an animal. It was clear that’s what Caleb wanted, to take away his humanity, but he wasn’t ready to give it up just yet. Damian looked around. He didn’t look too keen on the idea either. Heading for a wall closet, he searched inside before coming out with an old paint can. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m not letting you out,” he insisted, setting the can within Rhett’s reach. It was better nothing, Rhett guessed. Waiting until Damian turned his back again before relieving himself, he tried to make quick work of it since he still had more questions. Damian, on the other hand, was very keen to leave.

“Hey, wait!”

“Come on, man!” Damian whined. “I really don’t want to be here while you pee.”

“Just wait a minute, will ya?” There was a strange, awkward few moments while the two men waited for Rhett to get done. Facing away, Damian placed his hands on his hips and leaned on one foot. He obviously didn’t want to be down here, but Rhett was in no position to be sympathetic. No words were spoken, just the strange sound of liquid being poured into an aluminum can that sounded a great deal louder than either was comfortable with. 

When Rhett was all done and put away, he let out a forced cough and Damian knew he was finished. Walking past the cage, he opened the small window behind Rhett. It was at ground level; Rhett could just barely make out the edges of a shaggy, green lawn. 

“Fuck,” Damian mumbled. “Caleb should be here doing this.” Taking up the paint can, Damian did his best to pour the offending liquid through the bars. Rhett was very grateful that he wouldn’t have to smell that for the rest of his stay. He hoped he wouldn’t have to use the bathroom again before he was released or he escaped. He desperately hoped he would get out soon.

“I just gotta know…” he asked, as his jailer closed the window. “Why now? Why the sudden change from nice guys to total-” Rhett stopped short of saying ‘psycho’, even though it was a fair enough term, especially for Caleb. “What happened?” With a frustrated sigh, “I mean, I can’t believe y'all are normally like this.”

“Caleb was just looking for an excuse to get someone in his cage,” he told Rhett. “And Seth he…” He threw up his hands. “He’s just all bent out of shape because Devon is-” Stopping short, he realized what he was saying and clamped his mouth shut. His eyes went wide and he froze in place.

“Devon is what?” Rhett pressed. “What does this have to do with him? Come on, Damian. Who am I gonna tell?”

“No way, José,” Damian said firmly. “I’m not here to be your information guy. I just thought you’d like to have some fuckn’ dignity.” Storming off, he threw the basement door open and then slammed it shut. Rhett mentally kicked himself for pushing the man too far, but at least he made a smidgen of progress. Now if only he could figure out what Devon had to do with anything.


	22. Chapter 22

“Who _are_ you?” Grace demanded, when Link didn’t answer right away. Never before had Link felt so vulnerable than seated naked before this woman who, as far as he knew, could call down the wrath of the Lowell's pack at any time. His tongue felt lodged in his throat as he ran the possible outcomes of this conversation through his mind. He couldn’t think of any answer that wouldn’t come out bad. What could he say? Here, in the home of the enemy, one misstep, one wrong word and he was done for. Him and Rhett.

“I-” he tried, but words failed him, and his lack of answer wasn’t helping his case. Getting to her feet, Grace started heading away, no doubt looking for the nearest phone. In a panic, Link yelled after her, shouting the first thing that came to mind. “He took my friend!” Grace paused, confused and very suspicious. Still she made no further attempt to call anyone and came back towards the couch.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, squinting her eyes. Link hugged the quilt close and took a deep breath. He had to pick his next words very carefully, for his and Rhett’s sake.

“Seth. He took my friend. At gunpoint. Two nights ago.” Just hearing it spoken out loud made Link’s heart sink into his stomach. In the past he and Rhett had spent days, sometimes even months apart from one another, but although it had only been two nights, Link couldn’t remember ever missing his best friend this much. “I know it probably sounds crazy...”

“Your friend,” Grace began, slowly. “He’s a mutt, too?”

“Yes,” Link replied, carefully. He didn’t know what she was going to do, but he expected the worst. She could call Seth himself, or just attack Link directly. What he didn’t expect was for her to let out a heavy sigh and slouch back onto the couch. Her eyes stared at nothing as a sullen expression drew over her face. She was dismayed, frustrated and saddened by Link’s words. A myriad of emotions, passing over her eyes in a matter of seconds, but what Link didn’t see was surprise. This was no great revelation to her. If anything she looked as if she had been expecting it somehow. “You know something,” he surmised. “Tell me.”

“This isn't the first time they’ve done this,” she admitted, solemnly. “Seth and Caleb. It was a long time ago, and they kept it secret from almost everybody.” Weaving her hands together, she stared at them, but she didn’t see them. Her gaze was into some unknown past. “Those of us that knew about it were told it was for the good of the pack, to keep us safe, but I knew better.”

“He kidnapped people?” Link couldn’t believe it, though he didn’t know why. Seth has done it now, why couldn’t he have done it before? Why couldn’t he just do it again? Clearly he had the temperament and the means. Still, if people were aware of it, why didn’t they stop him? “How could he get away with that?”

“You don’t know Seth. He’s always been power driven, almost to the brink of insanity. He can be so charismatic, schmoozing and conniving his way to the top. When that’s not enough, he and his brothers use their muscles to do the rest.” Grace looked up, giving Link an apologetic stare. “Devon doesn’t see it; most people don’t. He’s managed to make himself indispensable to our alpha and there doesn’t seem to be a damn thing anyone can do to stop him.”

“I don’t understand,” Link began, running his fingers through his messy hair. “You know what he is, what he and his brother’s have done, yet-”

“ _I_ know,” Grace insisted. “A precious few people do, but no one important, and no one who can stop him would ever believe us. They don’t understand what Seth and Caleb are capable of.”

“What about Damian? The other brother?”

“He’s different, I know he is. I’ve never seen him hurt so much as a fly. I think he’s…” She unlaced a hand to gesture absentmindedly. “I think he’s like us. Knowing what Seth and Caleb have done doesn’t do any good. Anyone who tries to stop them soon finds their own allegiances questioned. One word from Seth can get you banished from the pack, or worse.”

“He can’t be all powerful,” Link argued, frustrated. “He’s just a man!”

“But he’s not,” Grace reminded him. “He’s a werewolf with an entire pack at his disposal. Other than our alpha, Devon, Seth is the most powerful beast in five states.”

“There has to be something we can do. Something I can do. He’s got my… my best friend.” Link slouched back in his chair, his hot chocolate forgotten, his own sorrow washing over him in a flood. Sympathetic, Grace left him with his thoughts for a second while she contemplated the situation.

“What I don’t understand,” she mused, “is why now?”

“The way Theo told it, Seth seemed desperate.” Speaking the bartender’s name, Link wondered what his hostess’ reaction would be, but she only nodded distractedly. Cautiously, the naked man continued. “He said they’ve been trying to find the mutts.” Meeting his eyes again, Grace’s eyes snapped back to the present.

“Mutts?” she asked. “What mutts?”

~ ~ ~

Damian was outside the Lowell’s cabin when Caleb drove up in his grey sedan, the black flame decals sparkling in the sunlight. He rolled his eyes, remembering the day the man got that stupid decoration. He’d always been flashy, but rather cheap. Of course, Damian didn’t dare say that to his face. There were many things he wanted to say but held back. Today, however, there were a few words he not be holding back from his life-long friend.

“Did you find ‘em?” he asked, as Caleb got out of the car. “Were they there?”

“Nah,” Caleb shrugged, heading up to the house. “But they were here recently. Must have just missed ‘em.” He rubbed the back of his neck, annoyed. “Guess I’ll have to ask our new pet what else he knows.” There was an unnerving glint in his eyes as he said this, giving Damian a very unsettling feeling.

“Why are you doing this, man?” he appealed, following close behind. “Things were going great with just talking to these guys. It didn’t have to be this way.” Stopping cold in his tracks, Caleb turned to face his friend, his eyes flashing dangerously.

“You know what your problem is?” he began, pointing an accusing finger. “You’re too soft. You don’t understand sometimes you have to play a little rough. Besides,” he added with a grin, “You have to admit it’s effective.”

“You’re torturing a human being!”

“A mutt. He’s no more human than the dogs at the pound. He’s a feral dog and I’m going to prove it.” His smile faltering, Caleb cocked a dangerous eyebrow. “That’s not going to be a problem, is it?”

“Whatever, man,” Damian sighed, backing off. It wasn’t his place to question Caleb, it never was. He was destined to be an omega in this pack for as long as he lived and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Frustrated, he shook his head and stepped away, not really wanting to press the issue. He couldn’t win, he never could. Not for lack of trying, but because it wasn’t his place to question those above him. He had learned that lesson the hard way.

~ ~ ~

“I see someone’s been playing dress up with the pup,” Caleb quipped, seeing Rhett in the old sweatpants. “Well, it saves me from having to look at you, I guess.” Wandering over to the stainless steel crucible, and the fire pit underneath, he knelt down to tend to the charcoal that had gone out long ago. Now, with a box of matches, he went about lighting it. Moments ticked by, minutes, as he stoked the flames to an unbearable temperature, heating the metallic substance inside. It needed to be hot. It needed to be liquid.

Rhett said nothing. He shivered a little, chilly from being shirtless in this dank room surrounded by cold steel. He really didn’t have anything to say to Caleb at this point. There was nothing else he could say that the man wanted to hear, nothing he could say that would either help himself or his captors. All the pleas for release had long been used up and now he just stared blankly at him, tired and completely done.

“The silent treatment isn’t going to go well,” Caleb commented, stepping away from the fire. “I mean, you can go with that if you want, but it won’t change anything.” Rhett was silent. He knew his jailer was taunting him, trying to get him to say something, but he didn’t want to play this game. Didn’t want Caleb to get under his skin. “You know what you are, don’t you.” It wasn’t a question. “You’ve tried to fight it, but it’s hopeless. Mutts like you can’t help but be mutts and no amount of domestication is doing to make a difference.” Standing up, he sauntered over to the side of the cage, the side with the crank. Rhett hunched down instinctively, regretting it immediately. The smirk on Caleb’s face grew even more unbearable. He knew he was in control, and he loved it.

“You know what I love about this device?” he asked, stroking the handle of the cage almost lovingly. “If you can control your form during the moons, it can’t really hurt you. The top of the cage can only be lowered so far.” Teasingly he wrapped his fingers around the handle, gripping it before letting go. “So, it’s your own fault when it hurts you. Changing into the large, hybrid form presses you against the spikes. Ingenious, isn’t it?” When Rhett still didn’t respond, Caleb grabbed the handle again, turning the crank to lower the spikes down a few inches.

“Mutts can’t control their form,” he continued, “because they're just animals. They’re not men.” He lowered the spikes a little more. “You look like men, you dress like men. You can even act like men.” Another inch. “But when the full moon comes out, you lose all semblances of humanity.” Kneeling he looked right into Rhett’s eyes. There was anger there, hatred. For a moment Rhett felt his own sense of control; Caleb wanted him to talk but Rhett was giving nothing. He couldn’t control most of the situation, but he was in charge of his own tongue. “I’ve had mutts like you in here before. They thought they could beat the system, keep control, but it always ended the same. The moon comes out and so does the wolf. You’ll change; they all do, and when you change, you’ll be too big for your little cage.”

Rhett held his gaze, impertinent and determined. Caleb could keep him here, hurt him, even kill him, but Rhett wasn’t going to let him take his free will. He was going to fight him to the bitter end because that’s all he could do. He thought the worst thing Caleb could do was kill him. He was wrong.

“Then there’s this,” he continued, pointing at the small crucible and the metal inside slowly melting down to a silvery pool. “Liquid silver. I’m sure Theo’s told you this metal is the only thing that can really kill us. Not exactly true; I mean, a shotgun blast to the face isn’t a pretty sight either but… This?” Stepping over to the silver he knelt down to pick up a graphite stir rod and began to slowly stir the increasingly hot substance. “It can be used to kill, or just harm, too. I paint the spikes in the cage from time to time, for those visitors who are being extra difficult.”

You’ve done pretty well, I’ll admit,” Caleb noted, standing back up. “Better than most of your breed. Holding your form for quite some time, even while enduring pain.” He nodded, almost to himself before turning to look back, an evil glint in his eye. “I wonder how well Link will do when it’s his turn. For him I’ll definitely use the silver.” 

Rhett snapped. He didn’t want to, but an overwhelming urge to rush at Caleb and throw him against the nearest wall surged through his veins. Standing up as best he could in the cramped space, he sneered at Caleb, spit flying from his mouth as he shouted at him.

“Don’t you _fucking_ touch him!” he yelled. “Don’t you dare touch him! I will kill you, do you hear me?!” Caleb just grinned, proud and satisfied that he’d managed to hit a nerve.

“I’d like to see you try,” he said, sly and smooth. He knew no matter Rhett’s threats, he’d won this round. Heading up the stairs he didn’t look back, leaving his metallic soup to cook and ignoring his prisoner’s continued threats to his life. Rhett screamed vulgarities after him, his face red, veins popping on his neck. He wasn’t sure how but he swore that if any of the Lowells ever harmed a single hair on his lover’s head, he would make them pay.

He would make them _all_ pay.


	23. Chapter 23

“Seth always told everyone he had things under control,” Grace was saying, standing at the window and looking out into the trees beyond. “When we heard about the attacks in Los Padres it was assumed it had been an isolated incident.”

“That ‘isolated incident’ turned me and my best friend into werewolves,” Link noted, unhappily. Grace either didn’t hear him or chose to ignore the comment. 

“How could things have gotten so bad?” she wondered to herself. Link didn’t know what to say about that. He didn’t have enough information to answer her query; he was still new to this world of monsters. He’d only found out about the mutts a few months ago.

“We never wanted to get involved,” he told her. “Rhett and I. We just wanted to live our normal lives and not pick a side between you.” Turning from her blank gaze outside, Grace looked over at the naked man still sitting in her living room chair wrapped in a quilt. Her expression was a bit dull, almost tired. 

“It wasn't always this way,” she lamented. “Things used to different between us.” Crossing her arms she stared down at the floor. “It's strange how things can change. Slow, so slow you barely notice until one day you look up-” she looked at Link- “and people you thought cared about you are your enemies.” Link got to his feet, careful to stay modest, and stood beside her. He wanted to offer comfort, but he wasn't sure how.

“What happened, Grace? Why is Seth like this?"

“There was always something dark in him,” Grace remembered. “Even when he was a child. He took so quickly to the wolf, and he never let it go. Whenever the pack would hunt, he would take chances, going for the biggest prey or attacking without a plan. He would charge right at a buck that was looking straight at him, he didn't care. It was a challenge. The more dangerous the better.”

“No one else thought he was being reckless?”

“A few, but no one he cared about. The higher-ups saw his arrogance, sure, but they couldn't argue with his results. And when he and Caleb hunted together, no prey was safe. They are a force to reckoned with, in and out of wolf form.”

“That doesn't explain why they hate mutts.”

“I don't really think they do. Many purebloods look down on mutts for not being born wolf, but I never saw Seth or Caleb as stuck up enough to care about that.” Her gaze turned outside again. “I don't think it was ever about the mutts. It was about power. Seth played on the fears of the elders, the hate of the ignorant. He promised to deal with the mutt problem and, as far as we knew he did. All he ever wanted was power. All Caleb wanted was what that power would give him.”

“What's that?” Link asked, afraid of the answer.

“Free reign.” Grace shivered to think that a Caleb without boundaries would be capable of; what he would do.

“What about Damian? Where does he fit into this plan of theirs?” 

“To be honest, I’m not sure. I don’t think he has the same, cold heart that the others have. Maybe he’s like us; he knows the truth but he can do nothing. Seth and Caleb hold the same sway over his actions. After all,” she continued with a slight shrug, “there’s no way he can’t know what his brothers are up to, and since he does nothing I can only assume he either is unwilling or unable.”

“What can he do? What can I do?” Link had waited long enough. He didn’t need more words, he needed action. He needed Rhett. “How can I get Rhett out?”

“No one ever has-” Grace began, but Link cut her off.

“I don’t care. This can’t go on. This can’t continue.” His tone was shorter than he intended and for a moment he almost backed off, but Grace wasn’t insulted, she nodded in complete agreement.

“You’re right, and for the first time in years, I think there may be a chance.”

“Tell me.”

“Seth has been…. agitated lately,” she explained, motioning for Link to take back his seat by the fire. She took hers on the couch once more. “I was curious, concerned. I did a little digging and it turns out that he has a very good reason to be nervous. Devon, our pack leader?” Link nodded, remembering who he was. “I don’t know why, but word is he’s coming down to L.A. himself. I’m assuming it’s because of this mutt problem. If he thinks that it’s not as under control as Seth has told him-”

“He won’t be too happy,” Link surmised, a small grin forming on his face.

“Exactly. Everyone else may cower before Seth and his brother Caleb, but not Devon. It’s a dangerous game Seth has played over the years.” A strange, eerie smile formed on her own face, a glint in her brown eyes. “He’s told Devon time and time again everything was under control. If he’s coming here then he suspects this isn’t true… and if he finds out Seth has been lying to him-”

“I’m hoping Devon wouldn’t be too happy to find out Caleb has been keeping prisoners?” Link half asked, have assumed. He couldn’t take out Seth, let along the three brothers together, but if he could find allies in the Lowells’ own pack, it could be a chance. Perhaps his only chance.

“Devon is not a harsh man,” Grace acknowledged. “I’ve never known him to be so cruel. If we can prove that Seth and Caleb have been going behind his back then…” She paused, biting her lip to keep from finishing that sentence.

“Then what?” Link pressed.

“Then he will no doubt take care of the both of them, personally.” From the look the woman’s face, Link didn’t want to ask what she meant. He had a fairly good guess.

“We need to make sure Devon sees what’s really happening,” he stated, a plan slowly forming in his mind. “We need to make sure he knows what Seth is doing.”

“We?” Grace questioned. Link sent her a soft but knowing look.

“I’ve been prepared to take Seth on by myself for days now, and if that’s what I’ll have to do I will, but…” He glanced outside. “You’ve said you know what he’s been up to, just been unable to stop it.” With a long pause he met the woman’s gaze once more. “Now’s your chance.” Grace sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly, but then she pursed her lips and nodded.

“Alright,” she conceded. “But we’re going to need some help.”

~ ~ ~

The sun was getting fairly high in the sky when he heard footsteps descending the wooden steps into the basement yet again. This time he didn’t look at who entered, but sat facing the back wall, determined to ignore whomever was coming to visit this time. It’s not that he didn’t care; he was relatively certain that he wanted to know who it was. It was just that no matter who it was he needed to show them that he wasn’t some lost puppy sitting around waiting to be whipped into submission. He wanted to show as much disrespect to his captures as he could and to show them that no matter what they did he wasn’t afraid of them. At least he wasn’t afraid of what they were going to do to him. There was still the fear of what they planned to do to Link.

“Still trying out the silent treatment, eh?” asked a voice. Rhett didn’t have to turn and look to know it was Seth. His overtly charming voice sounded exactly the same as the day they met but somehow there was an undertone of condescension and pride that had gone unnoticed before. “Worth a try, I suppose. I’ve seen it done before, but it won’t do you any good.” There was the sound of metal on concrete; the folding chair had been laid out once again. “But you go ahead. We’ll see how far that gets you.” With a sigh, Rhett turned to face his captor, maintaining his cross-legged position and his marble expression.

“What else can I say?” he wondered, asking both himself and Seth in a hushed voice. “What can I do that will convince you to let me go?” Seth’s grin was subtle, and vile like poison. Rhett had seen that smile before, hidden behind a mask of charm.

“If you told us where to find the mutts, that’d be a start,” he suggested. “Short of that, not much.”

“I don’t know,” Rhett stated for the hundredth time. “I met with them once, and I already told you where. They didn’t confide in me; I’m not their friend.”

“I believe you.” At this, Rhett blinked in surprise. He had spent so long repeating how little he knew, he just assumed Seth and his brothers thought him a liar. “It doesn’t change anything.”

“What do you want from me?” he asked, trying to hold back the desperation in his voice. 

“I already told you,” Seth explained, “but it doesn’t matter if you don’t tell me anything. You’re doing me a favor just being here.” When Rhett gave him a confused look, he seemed to change the subject. “How long have you known Theo?”

“Not long,” Rhett insisted, not really sure where his captor was going with this. “Over a year?”

“I’ve known him for many years. He was once a member of the pack, and while he may have left us, I know more about him than you ever will.” Leaning back, Seth seemed to relax as if he wasn’t talking to a half-naked man in a cage. “It was a shame when he left. He was a tough sonofabitch, and loyal to a fault. Even when we sent him and his stupid brother to kill mutts he didn’t waver for a minute. I have no doubt that he’s the same with you. He sees you as his new pack leader.” Leaning forward now, Seth gave Rhett a knowing look. “You may not know where the mutts are, but he does. He’ll come for you. He’ll come for his alpha.”

“You sent him to kill people?” Rhett asked, steering the conversation. “Is that why he left the pack?”

“Theo left the pack because he knew I would have killed him if he didn’t. For a mutt he wasn’t too interested in playing ball. You and he are a lot alike, I think.”

“What about his brother?”

“Chris? Christian was… well… He was one hell of a tracker, to be sure, but he was loyal to his brother. Ran in the family, I guess. Luckily he was never as bright. All I had to do was tell him to go somewhere and he’d go. Tell him to scout out a house, and off he went.” Seth shrugged. “I was hoping to get two for one, but I guess the outcome was the same.”

“You sent Theo’s brother to take on those mutts by himself,” Rhett surmised, putting the dots together. “You knew he was going to get killed. Theo was right. You sent Chris there to die. But why?” Seth’s smile faded, hatred bleeding through. Hatred for Rhett. Hatred for Theo and Chris. Hatred for anyone who ever stood in his way.

“I don’t like wolves who don’t play ball. He was an idiot.” His voice raising, Seth stood up, pacing like he was the one in a cage. “I would have taken him to the top with me, but the damned fool chose to side with Devon, against me. Both of them did and Theo... I should have killed him myself.”

“You wanted to turn against your own alpha?” An ambitious plan, to be sure, but from what he’d heard not one easily pulled off. “And Theo wouldn’t go along with it.”

“Like I said,” Seth reiterated, tilting his head. “Loyal to a fault.”

“Loyalty is never a fault,” Rhett stated with one hundred percent certainty. Seth just chuckled.

“We’ll see. He’ll come for you and then…” another evil grin crossed his face. “Then we’ll see.”


	24. Chapter 24

It’s amazing what you notice more when you’re trying not to think about anything. The ticking of a clock you never realized made noise. The scritching of pencil on paper by the far-sighted receptionist at an annoyingly irregular intervals. How the good snacks were always sold out in the vending machine. The way the coins clicked and clattered down through the machine before crashing to the coin box inside. The soft whirr as the snack was pushed forward by a rotating metal spiral and, finally, the soft smack of the bag as it landed in the tray ready to be picked up.

Theo stared at the untouched bag of chips, not really hungry, for the longest time. He didn’t want them, it just felt like something you did when you were waiting for any word from the doctors. He never did like hospitals and knowing what his friend Max was going through just down the hall…

“Thinking of buying something else?” came a voice. Too tired to look as startled as he was, Theo turned to see Alistair leaning against the wall just at the corner. He looked a bit ragged, in both face and clothes but that wasn’t a surprise in and of itself. That’s mostly how he always looked, how Theo knew him to look. It was always a bit of a ruse, really. The man could look half-dead and still be able to take on a dozen men. Not very unusual for a werewolf in his prime.

“Wasn’t sure if I was going to see you here,” Theo noted, turning his gaze back to the machine in front of him. He let out a slow sigh before continuing. “Thanks for coming,” he added, quietly.

“How’s Max?” Alistair asked with a gruff tone but with genuine concern.

“Not dead,” was the curt response from the gut. Theo bit his lip, still not meeting his friend’s gaze. “Fever’s spikin’,” he continued. “Doctors are baffled; not sure he’ll pull through.” He chuckled slightly at that. Alistair looked impressed. He knew well enough what that fever really meant.

“Didn’t think you had it in you,” he commented, stepping closer. “Thought you’d put away your bite for good, after what happened.”

“Yeah, well… It was his choice.” Finally he looked up again to see Alistair’s scrutinizing gaze. “He wanted to live.”

“Most people do,” Alistair joked, humorlessly. There was a pause in the conversation then he shrugged. “Have you heard from Neal?” Another surprised expression crossed Theo’s face, mixed with an amused grin.

“Concerned for the newbies? Really?”

“Morbid curiosity,” the taller man corrected. With a shrug he added “Just ‘cause I don’t like ‘em doesn’t mean I wanted to see them killed.”

“You old softy,” Theo quipped. He glanced at the time. “I got a call not long ago, actually. He thinks he’s close to the Lowell’s place.” Now it was Alistair’s turn to look surprised.

“He’s more resourceful than I thought. Well, where is it?” Theo started to answer but a pair of nurses, dressed in full scrubs, turned the corner. The bartender moved nonchalantly to the other wall, offering them a friendly nod as they walked by. Once they were out of earshot, Theo spoke up, much quieter this time.

“You remember Grace?”

~ ~ ~

Link’s new acquaintance had been more than kind. After they called and talked to Theo, Grace gave Link a ride to find his car so he could get home in one piece. They didn’t talk much during the car ride to Twin Lakes, but Link didn’t feel much like talking. He mostly stared out of the window, wondering if every one of the few houses they passed by had Rhett inside. His new pureblood associate had said she didn’t know exactly where the Lowells house was, few did. Like everyone else all she could say was it was near Twin Lakes.

“The brothers don’t exactly invite people over for nice chats,” she explained. “It’s their own private property where no one can disturb them.”

“Does Devon know where it is?” Link inquired.

“He must. He insists on knowing almost everything. If someone in the pack has property, he knows about it. That way no one can hide if he needs to-” She stopped short, not really wanting to think about what Devon would ever have to do.

“Has Devon ever hurt people?”

“He does what needs to be done, nothing more,” Grace insisted. “But he’s not a cruel man. He’s lenient, forgiving. If you and Rhett ever decide that you need a pack-”

“We _have_ a pack,” Link stated firmly. Grace let it go after that. She didn’t want to start a fight. Link sighed; he didn’t either. “Do you think the mutts will help?” he asked, changing the subject.

“They already want to find Seth’s hideout and take him out.” From the look on her face, Grace didn’t like to think about how the mutts would go about doing that. “Theo said he would talk to their leader. I’m sure it will just take some time to-

“Time?” Link’s voice cracked, slightly. “How much time?”

“I- I don’t know,” Grace admitted. “He didn’t say.” She hesitated before continuing. “Probably not until tomorrow night-” Link bit his tongue, keeping himself from saying a few choice words not appropriate for polite conversation, though his face said enough to stop his new friend in her tracks. It wasn’t Grace’s fault that the rescue of his best friend was taking forever. He just wished there was more he could do. 

When they eventually reached Link’s car, and he could finally put his glasses back on, Link hoped the world would look more hopeful than he had for the past few hours. Grace told him not to worry, and he appreciated her concern, but it was no use. Worrying was what he planned on doing until he held Rhett in his arms again. It was all he could do not to cry.

~ ~ ~

By the time Link had gotten home it was well after noon. Now, as the minutes ticked by, he roamed around his home like a caged animal, waiting for any news from anyone; about the mutts, about Rhett, about anything that would break this agonizing silence.

He paced in the living room he and Rhett had shared for some time now. His fists were balled up and his jaw set tight. He wanted to grab something, anything, and throw it into the wall, but his last shreds of common sense held him back, just barely. Never before had he been so equally enraged at someone else and himself. To be so close to Rhett and yet unable to help him. He hated himself for his failure. If only he could just control his damned form when the moon rose those nights… he’d know exactly where Rhett was and he’d have been back safe and sound. 

True he had gotten far closer than he dared hope, so close that he could practically smell those foul Lowells. He had to try again. He _needed_ to try again, for Rhett’s sake. At least this time he had a better idea of where to start.

It had been a blessing, that of all the purebloods he could possibly run into, Link had met such a kind person as Grace. He still couldn’t believe that she didn’t turn him into the Seth and his brothers. Part of him wished she had, at least then he and Rhett would be together.

“Don’t be an idiot,” he chastised himself. It would do no good for both of them to be captured. Yet the idea continued to flood his mind. He had to know what they were doing to Rhett, his friend, his love. Were they hurting him? _Torturing him?_ The imagery made him shudder. If anything ever happened to the man he loved… he couldn’t bare to think about it.

When the phone finally rang, Link nearly dropped it trying to answer. He stumbled to deliver a greeting, holding his breath as he listened for whatever news he was about to hear.

“Hey, Link,” came Theo’s voice, sullen and tired. Link did his best to be sensitive to what the bartender was going through, knowing they were both feeling the repercussions of what Seth did not long ago.

“Any luck?” he asked, wanting to cut to the chase. Theo cleared his throat before answer.

“I’ve been talking to Alistair. The man can be a total bastard but he hates the Lowells more than anyone else.” Link wasn’t so sure about that. “He wants to help, in so much that he probably wants to tear out Seth’s throat with his bare hands…” He wasn’t the only one. “But any plans we make are useless without knowing the exact location of the house. Seth and his brother’s have been combing the countryside, trying to find the mutts, and the mutts have been doing everything they can to keep their families hidden…”

“They don’t have any trackers themselves?” Link asked, trying to not be demanding. He couldn’t believe that no one had ever found the brothers’ secret house before now. 

“Believe me, they’ve tried,” Theo explained. “It’s a big area to search and they don’t exactly want the brother’s to catch wind that anyone has gotten even this close to knowing where their secret house. They find out we know how close you’ve come to finding them, they’d pack up and move. They’ve done it before.”

“Okay, okay,” Link relented, unhappy to concede the point. “But what would they do if they knew exactly where the house was?” ‘ _Would they get Rhett out? Could they get Rhett out?_ ’

“It’s a moot point, Link. I’m sorry, but unless they know the exact location-”

“I can find it,” Link declared, certain and unwavering. “I’ll find it and get him out myself if I have to.”

“Link,” Theo urged. “You can’t just-”

“Clearly I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” He was starting to lose his cool again and he took a deep breath before continuing. “Everything hinges on finding Rhett, the Lowells’ place, and… Well, apparently no one else can do it.”

“It’s not that we can’t. It’s dangerous, Link!” Link didn’t care anymore. He was sick of waiting for someone else to do what he believed needed to be done, of waiting for someone to save his best friend, of someone else to make things right. He was just sick of waiting. 

“I can do this,” he assured him. ‘ _I can do this,_ ’ he assured himself. There was no question in his mind that he had to at least try. Rhett’s very life could depend on it. Theo sighed.

“I can’t stop you, but I can’t help you either. I need to be here, for Max, for when he wakes up.” His voice cracked slightly for a moment but he cleared his throat again to continue. “If you’re sure you want to do this-”

“Sure has nothing to do with it.” He wasn’t sure about any of this, but Rhett was counting on him. 

“If you’re _sure_ ,” Theo tried again. “Maybe you shouldn’t go alone.” Link scoffed.

“Who’s gonna come with me? Alistair? One of the mutts?” The list of people Link could even think about taking with him was incredibly short, and few of them were either willing or able.

“I know you don’t know Grace very well, but she’s kind soul and…” There was a short pause while Theo forced himself to speak more. He obviously didn’t want to continue but, Like link, he felt rather choiceless. “You can trust her, believe me. She was very kind to me and my brother when we were new in the pack.” It sounded like there was more of a story there that Theo just wasn’t ready to tell and Link wasn’t in the mood to press him for more. If Grace could help him he was willing to ask.

“Thanks,” Link sighed, trying to calm down. “For everything.”

“Good luck, man.” He meant it. “You’re gonna need it.”


	25. Chapter 25

Night was falling again. Rhett gazed longingly through the bars of the window above him, up at the moon that he could just barely see from his prison in the Lowell’s basement. How he wished he could be out in the field of his home-away-from-home, the farmhouse that he and Link had fixed up together. He would have given anything to be there with his love right now. There, where he and Link had spent so many hours together just to the two of them, where they could well and truly be free. It seemed a lifetime ago. It seemed a dream that such paradise could ever have existed. Maybe it was a dream, a fantasy Rhett had constructed when he was lost and could never profess his love to the man he had known almost his entire life. A time when he could be open and truthful, when Link had loved him back. Had any of it been real? In this dungeon, far away from anything he knew or cared about, Rhett wasn’t so sure.

“I hope you’re awake,” came his torturer’s voice. Rhett didn’t turn from the moon, the only thing of the outside world he had left. He didn’t move a single muscle as he heard Caleb crossed the small room with overly confident steps. All the hope in his heart was quickly fading, hope of rescue, hope of escape. It all seemed to wither and die as the cruel man behind him got closer. “I’d hate for you to miss all the fun.”

“Come to torment me some more?” There was no fear in Rhett’s voice as he asked, no irritation. It was a question, nothing more. Rhett was too tired, emotionally and physically, to offer anything else. If his lack of reaction bothered Caleb, he showed no sign. Instead he ignored the question completely.

“It won’t be long now,” he commented, seeing the moonlight shining through the tiny window. “You must be itching to change.”

“Any sign of Theo?” Rhett asked, with a slight hint of taunt. He was able to feel a meager sense of accomplishment when Caleb didn’t answer for awhile. Another small victory. He flinched when a loud bang echoed through the room, and a sharp vibration shook his cage. Instinctively he turned to see Caleb, folding chair in hand, standing before him. His eyes were filled with rage, his face slightly flush. Rhett was certain he was going to hit the cage again but somehow he was able to contain himself and, instead, tossed the chair aside.

“I’m giving you one last chance, McLaughlin,” he warned, pointing a shaking finger at Rhett’s face. “Tell me where the mutts are or I swear I will personally find your Link friend and flay him alive.” Adrenaline coursed through Rhett’s body anew, waking up his fear response and making his entire body shake. He was afraid, he was furious, and he couldn’t take much more. Caleb was also furious, but his hatred could not hope to match that in Rhett’s heart for anyone that dared hurt his precious Link.

“You will not touch Link,” he growled, quiet but fierce. “If you do you better hope to God I die in here or I swear…” As he spoke he could feel the change happening. It was faster than ever before and it hurt like hell, but he didn’t care. He gripped the bars of his cage as his fingers turned to claws, standing taller as his long legs grew even longer. The long snout of a werewolf jutted from between the bars and he spat out the last of his threat. “I will tear out your throat myself.” His now-golden eyes flashed their fury at his captor who watched on with a very satisfied grin, yet there was hint of fear in his face as well. Rhett was a giant as a man; as a werewolf he was enormous and a sight to behold. Caleb had wanted to push him this far, and he had succeeded. Still, part of him couldn’t help but be terrified.

This was not Rhett. As he came to his full werewolf height, over ten and a half feet tall easy, and his borrowed slacks burst at the seams. His shaggy, sandy-colored fur stood on end, and his huge maw snarled and drooled. Rabid and savage, Rhett was not in control. The wolf inside him wasn’t in control either as his body contorted between human and animal. Neither could hold back their shared contempt of the man before them. Both wanted to hurt him- one wanted to eat him- and together they were a mass of rage and fury. They swiped through the bars, just barely missing Caleb as he jumped back, his own transformation barely beginning. He chuckled, nervously.

“Look at you,” he scoffed. “For all your talk, stubbornness, you’re nothing more than a feral junkyard dog.” With a slight strut, he circled the cage, heading towards the crank. “Put a chain around your neck and you can guard my lawn.” Rhett lashed out at him again as he got close, but the handle on the crank was long enough that Caleb could turn it without worry, even with a werewolf of Rhett’s size. “Maybe you should calm down a bit.” With a grunt he turned the crank hard, lowering the spike-lined roof of the cage unto his prisoner’s head. Rhett howled in pain, but didn’t calm down. He bent down, getting as far away from the spikes as he could, but he continued to snarl violently at his captor. Caleb lowered the roof further until there was no where for the werewolf to hide.

Like a tornado caught in a windtunnel, Rhett tore at the cage- the bars, the floor, even the spikes themselves, desperate and mindless. In his fit he even tried to use his teeth against the cage, but he only managed to hurt himself in the process. Still he continued to thrash about until he was bloodied and tired. Only then did he quiet down. Only then did his form finally meld completely into wolf. Panting, he could only lay down and stare at Caleb who looked far too pleased with himself.

“There,” he smirked. “Isn’t that better?” Stepping away, and with great effort, Caleb changed back into his fully human form. “I’ll be sad when our time together is over,” he added, stepping over to his crucible and the molten silver within. “You’ve been more fun than most.” Taking a large brush, he submerged the bristles in the metallic substance, carefully wiping away the excess onto the sides of the container. Then, walking back to the cage, he carefully began to brush on the silver to each and every spike. It was a light coating, but enough to really hurt the next time the spikes dug into Rhett’s flesh. Enough to kill him if they buried deep enough.

With one last chuckle he left the room to complete his change. Rhett was left to lick his wounds, literally and figuratively. The cuts and bruises would heal quickly, but in the end his fighting at been a fruitless endeavor, his rage had been for naught. There was nothing more he could do but wait.

~ ~ ~

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Grace asked. Link took a deep breath and let it out slowly: his vain attempt at trying not to sigh from hearing Theo’s words echoed by his new friend. Luckily it just looked like he was revving himself up.

“Positive,” he assured her, not losing stride. The two of them crossed Grace’s lawn to the very edges of her property. She was holding a dufflebag and some folded-up woolen fabric, that she had yet to explain to Link, and he had a small, hooded lantern to light their path. It cast an eerie glow on the dirt road before them. “There’s no other way.” Nodding, and holding the fabrics a bit closer to her chest, Grace didn’t ask again. Clearly Link had been asked enough times and his mind was set. 

Once they reached the treeline, Link set the lamp on the ground and Grace handed him one of the strange bundles of fabric. He began unfolding it, curious and confused.

“Blankets?” he assumed, recalling how Rhett and he always changed under the full moon.

“Changing clothes,” she explained, unfolding her own. It took Link a few seconds to recognize the brown, square cloth. He made a slightly amused face before turning and raising an eyebrow at his companion.

“A poncho?” Grace giggled.

“It’s perfect for werewolves.” She slipped the fuzzy fabric over her head with a grin. “When the change comes, you don’t tear apart your favorite blouse, and once you’re done you can just take it off.” Fumbling under the poncho, she began to remove her clothes and gently placing them aside.

“Oh! I get it.” The poncho provided a warm modesty screen that wouldn’t get torn to shreds during the change. It was a brilliant idea and for a moment Link thought about telling Rhett as soon as he saw him. Thinking of Rhett, of course, reminded Link that he had to find the man first. The sun was getting low and Grace was almost done undressing. Link made quick of his own clothes to follow suit.

Once they were dressed only in their large ponchos, the two of them sat on the grass side by side. Grace zipped open her bag and pulled out a number of things for tonight’s change. A small tape player, with slow, calming music; an incense burner, which once lit emitted a soothing, herbal scent that didn’t bother Link’s sensitive nose; and finally a small, wooden statue of a wolf lying on its front paws. She set up everything with practiced care, making sure the music was at the perfect volume, that the wolf was perfectly positioned. Once she was certain the meditation area was set up just right, she turned to face Link.

“I know you’re under a lot of stress right now,” she began, knowing that it was understatement to say so. “But if you want to control your wolf under the moonlight, you need to remain calm during the change. Even during the night, if you let your emotions rule you, the wolf can very easily take over.” Link nodded, understanding. “Are you ready to start?”

“I’m ready.” Grace closed her eyes and Link did the same. He didn’t need to see right now; he could feel the entire world around him, sense every movement, hear every sound. The wolf was close to the surface, he could feel it. It made him anxious but it also gave him strength, kept all his senses sharp and keen. This just made him feel on edge, however, like he was constantly in the ‘flight or fight’ response mode. Normally Rhett was with him, keeping him safe and calm. Since his disappearance, Link and his wolf never felt either. 

“Aright,” his new friend began. “I want you to focus on your breathing. Feel it being pulled in your lungs, and slowly being released back into the atmosphere. Listen to it flowing through your nose, in and out. In and out.” Link took deep, cleansing breaths, pushing out the noises and the smells that constantly berated his very essence, and thought about nothing but his breathing. He was doing very well- for about thirty seconds. Then his mind snapped back to Rhett; where he was, what was being done to him. As soon as he realized this was counterproductive, he cleared his throat and started again.

“Don’t get frustrated,” Grace instructed, gently. “Relax, and try to calm your heart. I can hear it pounding from here.” Link put a palm to his chest. His heart was racing quite fast, and he didn’t doubt Grace’s keen werewolf ears could hear it clearly.

“I’m trying,” he explained. “I can’t stop thinking about Rhett-”

“I know, but if you want to find him you have to clear your mind of him.” She gave him a very sympathetic look before quipping “If you love him, stop thinking about him.”

‘ _Easier said than done,_ ’ Link noted, internally. Still, despite his doubts and fears, he did his very best to put them aside and clear his mind of all distractions. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Over and over he did this. When his thoughts turned away from the task at hand, he put them back on track. Soon he did feel calmer, but they weren’t done yet. After about twenty minutes he felt a new distraction. New, but all too familiar; an itch that started on his chest and spread over his entire body. Link tried to ignore the sensation, but things were just getting started. 

“As the moon rises, so does the will of the beast,” Grace was saying, keeping her eyes closed. “The wolf is always inside you, Link, but most of the time you are in control. For weeks the wolf is subject to your will, and now he wants to come out. Don’t try to force him down, for his anger is fierce. He is untamed, but he can be coaxed. Breath in the night, drink in the moon.” Leaning his head back, Link could feel the warmth of the full moon on his skin, almost as if it were the bright midday sun. He let the cool night air wrap around him, like a blanket, as the moonlight shone down from above. It was a strange mix of hot and cold, two complete opposites coming together in perfect harmony. He wasn’t sure why he’d never felt them this way before.

His body began to change, but this time he felt no fear. He welcomed the change; the surge in power, the rise of fortitude. He embraced the change completely, letting his body twist and morph to whatever form it desired. As his arms and legs grew longer, as the fur spread across his skin, he didn’t even open his eyes. The feeling of his spine extending and curving into new shapes didn’t scare him. The knowledge that he was becoming more monstrous by the second gave him no pause. He let it happen and within seconds his transformation was complete. The wolf and Link were one.


	26. Chapter 26

It was hard enough to find a hospital that wouldn’t ask a lot of questions, finding one that also was near to his home was almost impossible. He had been lucky to find a place where his friend, Max, could both be safe from the Lowells and receive the medical care that he desperately needed. He was certain it wasn’t even on the Lowells’ radar; Max would be safe. They would both be safe. However, despite his desire to stay by his friend’s side until everything blew over, Theo was still a werewolf. No matter how accommodating the staff at this hospital were, they weren’t about to let a wolfman sit at a patient’s bedside. They wouldn’t put up with that at all.

So it was, as the sun began to set on the second night of the moons, Theo said goodnight to Max and pack up his things to leave. He had timed it perfectly; he would be able to hold his human form until he got back to his safe room at the bar. There he would wait out the night until morning came once more and he could begin his vigil anew.

The rest of the hospital was quiet. Visiting hours were over, most of the staff had gone home for the night. It was deathly still but that suited Theo just fine. It meant he didn’t have to deal with anyone asking questions that he wasn’t prepared to answer. It meant he could slip away and be gone before anyone even noticed he had ever been there.

At least, that was the hope. After choosing to save Max’s life with the world’s most dangerous cure, Theo was more than a little on edge. In these early stages his friend’s survival was still uncertain. Not everyone survived the change, though he was confident Max would make it. He was strong, in mind and body. All he needed was time and the gentle care of the nurses. Theo had to wonder how werewolves survived the change in the old days, when their kind had to hide in the woods and professional medicine was out of the question. It was a wonder they survived these many years at all.

He was lost in thought, contemplating such things and others while he headed down a back hallway towards an exit when the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Stopping mid-breath he froze, trying to hear what his other senses told him was nearby. This wasn’t his territory; he didn’t have a feel for the place yet and it made him even more wary than usual. It wasn’t human, whomever it was. It was definitely a werewolf, that he was most certain of. After that it didn’t take long to realize exactly who had finally found him.

“So this is where you’ve been hiding,” came a familiar and foreboding voice. Theo held his ground, preparing for what he knew was inevitable. “I would have thought you’d be long gone by now.” Stepping out of an adjacent hallway, looking awfully smug, was Seth. The eldest Lowell brother had come alone and that seemed to be the only luck Theo was going to have this evening.

“Trust me, leaving town is the last thing on my mind.” Theo didn’t want to run away, not this time. If it weren’t for the weakened state of Max, he would have started hunting down the Lowell brothers already. “You’re the one who should have left.”

“Once I’m finished here, I will.” Seth paused, tilting his head as he sized up the man before him. “You’ve done well for yourself, over the years. Considering...” he added. “I’d be willing to give you a second chance, if you’re interested.”

“Fuck you.” Theo was done with Seth. He’d been done with him for years and he wasn’t about to let the maniac suck him in again. Not after what he did. Seth sneered. He wasn’t used to people calling him out so rudely. Not even Theo, a man who’s life he’d absolutely ruined, had ever spoken to him in that way. He had to face the facts that he wasn’t going to be able to talk his way out of this situation. Violence was inevitable. 

A tickle ran up Theo’s spine. Seth’s too. The sun had already set and the moon was rising. They could both feel the change coming over them, feel the wolf begging to be released. Theo didn’t want to do this here, not where anyone could get hurt. Not where anyone might see. Seth didn’t care either way. Innocent bystanders were never on his mind and if anyone saw he could blame it all on the muts. Just one more reason why they all had to be wiped out. One more reason why he needed to be put in charge. One more reason Theo had to die.

“I should have killed you myself long ago,” Seth told him, removing his shirt as his body began to grow too big for it. Theo felt his own change, just below the surface, mixing, boiling with his rage until both were ready to burst from his chest in flames and fury.

“Yeah,” he agreed, removing his own shirt. “You really should have.”

~ ~ ~

‘ _Rhett… Rhett… Rhett._ ’ Thousands of sounds, trillions of scents flooded Link’s ears and nose, but only one thought filled his mind as he ran through the darkened woods. ‘ _Rhett… Rhett… Rhett…_ ’ It was his only drive, his only purpose, and the farther he ran the more he was certain: this was the night he had to find his friend.

‘ _Rhett… Rhett… Rhett…_ ’ His love’s name echoed in his mind, a mantra that imitated the beating of his heart, the pulse in his ears, and the pounding of his feet on the earth. Running on all fours he ran faster than he ever thought possible, faster than he’d ever gone before, and he still felt like it was too slow. He didn’t know how far he was going to have to travel but the longer he ran, the more worried he became that he wasn’t going to-

‘ _Rhett!!_ ’ A trace, just the slightest scent on the wind, but it was enough to make his wolf ears perk up and his heart leap. With the smallest bit of effort he altered his course towards the smell and doubled his efforts. He was going to find Rhett this night or die trying. It was all he cared about. It was all his wolf cared about. Together, working as one, they honed in on Rhett’s scent, following it without a single regard to where it was taking them. Even as other scents criss-crossed before them, scents they should have been paying attention to, scents that spoke of danger, they ignored every single one. To Link and his wolf, there was only Rhett.

The sky was clear that night; stars lit the way through the dense forest but Link didn’t need them. The longer he ran, the clearer Rhett’s scent became, the more obvious his path, the more determined he felt. There was no question as to where Link had to go, only what he would find when he got to Rhett. Of course he wasn’t thinking about who else might be with Rhett, or in what condition he’d be. There was only the desire to get to him. To be with him once more. It was a desire that he shared with his wolf. His wolf may not have understood in words who Rhett was, or what he meant to Link, but he wanted to find his wolf brother just as badly.

‘ _Rhett… Rhett… Rhett…_ ’

A clearing up ahead. Link sensed it long before he saw it. A change in the air, not just a difference in smells. He could sense it, like the pressure of the wind or the way sounds hit his ears in a new way. There was no way to fully describe it; he just knew. Then the other smells hit him. Rhett’s scent was strong to be sure, but there were others, other wolves. Foreign yet… had he smelled them before? Recently, near home. What? Confused Link slowed down, still eager but now cautious. This was not his territory, that much was clear. The closer he got to Rhett the more overwhelming the smell of the other wolves was. It scared his wolf. It scared him. This place was not safe; these lands were owned by a hostile force and both Link and his wolf knew that if they found him things would not end well.

Still he pushed forward. Nothing was going to stop him from trying to find Rhett. No threat, no danger, no one. He had come too far, Rhett had been gone too long. Link needed to find him -to save him- if it was the last thing he ever did. 

Passing through the treeline, Link finally reached the clearing. There he stopped short, pausing before going into the wide open. Once he stepped out onto the open grass there would be no cover, no hiding. There wasn’t any going back, either; it was now or never. With one last check around him Link crossed the invisible border of the forest and moved forward. It was only when got closer did he realize there was more than rocks and grass in the clearing ahead. 

The wolf brain didn’t quite understand, but Link’s human brain did. A villa, two stories of brick and wood, stood almost perfectly in the center of the glade, dark and ominous. The windows were dark but that didn’t offer any proof that the building was completely empty. Link’s nose told him something different. There was someone in there and he was going to find them. Sneaking as well as a nine-foot-wolfman can, Link made his way towards the back of the house. It was there that the scent was strongest. The wolf went a little crazy, sniffing the ground, taking in the scents and analyzing them in ways Link would never be able to explain, but all he needed to know was that this was the place. Rhett was here.

A window. Small and barred but definitely a window. It was hard to scrunch down far enough to see inside but when he did Link’s heart both leapt and fell in the same second. Rhett. He was in there, but so was a cage. It broke Link spirit to see his love trapped in what appeared to be a vicious torture device. Seeing him this way had not been Link’s biggest fear, but it came far too close for comfort. Scratching the glass with his sharp foretoes, he tried to get the prisoner’s attention. He had to know Rhett was alive but right now he wasn’t moving. Link tried again.

The high-pitched screech of claw on glass eventually woke the sleeping giant from his slumber, but it took him a few seconds more to find the source of the annoyance. It was difficult to see the window with the ceiling of spikes, tainted with silver, hovering above his head, but craning his neck and pressing against the bars he could make out a dark shape outside. His golden eyes met with piercing cobalt surrounded by jet-black fur. The wolf was unmistakable as Link.

‘ _Rhett, my love._ ’ Alive. Rhett was alive. Link nuzzled against the glass, wishing so dearly that it was Rhett’s fur he was nestled up against. Even if the window was open, and the bars weren’t there, he wouldn’t have been able to fit through the small opening. He whimpered in frustration and sorrow that he had come so far only to be stopped by his size. Even if he could have controlled his form enough to become human again he still wouldn't fit. He let out a sharp bark. ‘ _I’m here,_ ’ he said, hoping Rhett would understand. He scratched at the ground beneath the window. ‘ _I’m going to get you out._ ’

Looking back up at the werewolf outside, the sandy-colored beast didn’t respond right away. He was silent and still, his ears lowered back against his skull as he hunched low to the ground. This was not a posture that Link had expected. It didn’t say ‘I’m happy to see you’ or ‘I’m okay, you don’t have to worry’. Far from either. This was a posture that told Link the wolf before him was scared and confused. It told Link that Rhett wasn’t there, only his wolf, and that wolf had no idea who Link was.


	27. Chapter 27

Seth had gotten a lead, not a solid one, but strong enough that he was willing to investigate at this late hour and to a very public place. Caleb would have loved to go with him, but he wanted to stay close to his new pet. Damian was a little surprised his brother was going to risk regular humans seeing his wolf self, but then again he was getting very desperate these days, and there would be no talking him out of it. 

Once the elder brother was gone, his two younger siblings continued with their monthly routine without him. It felt strange, without their third brother with them, but Caleb wasn’t perturbed. Damian was so wrapped up in his thoughts he wasn’t paying a lot of attention to their little rituals and, if he was being honest, it had been a long time since he really cared about them anyway. 

“Cheer up,” Caleb was saying, pulling off his grey tank top. “We only have to be in this stupid town for one more moon and then we get to go home.” Damian had to agree that the prospect of going home was quite appealing, but he didn’t think it was going to be that easy.

“If Devon lets us,” he muttered, looking up at the night sky and the full moon above. “If he finds out we were keeping someone in the dungeon again-” He stopped short as Caleb leaned in close and gave him a warning look.

“He’s not gonna find out,” he half promised, half demanded. “Not unless one of us is stupid enough to tell him. Right?” Damian wasn’t stupid enough to argue, at least. He shook his head.

“Of course not,” he assured his brother, playing his part. “But until Seth deals with the rest of the mutts-”

“He will,” Caleb interrupted, pulled away. He held out his arms to the wind, letting the cool breeze wash over him and the moonlight soak into his skin. Damian held his tongue as he removed the last of his clothing. He could already feel the familiar tingle of fur starting to grow all over. The night before, as he and his brothers had run free as wolves, they had marked their territory for miles around. They needed to refresh their scent since they hadn’t been here in a very long time. Yet despite their efforts there was still the scent of other wolves clinging to the shadows, wafting in the wind, reminding them that they weren’t welcome here; that their territory was shrinking.

“I hope so,” Damian commented, lying through his teeth.

“I might stay here, actually,” Caleb mused, removing his pants and boxers so his change could continue unimpeded. “Hunt down the mutts for sport, like my grandfather used to do.” He grinned evilly and there was a darkness in his eyes that made Damian nervous. After all this time he had never gotten used to the sinister side of the brutal man beside him. 

“I’m surprised you haven't done that already.” Now that was true; over the years Caleb’s had been trying to curb his savage impulses less and less. Damian feared the day when he no longer even tried to be human.

“I wish,” Caleb grinned, starting his stretches. “The mutts down here are so much more fun to hunt. The runts flee like rabbits,” he continued, pausing his stretches to mimic rabbits fleeing with his fingers. “The older ones try to fight back.” He laughed out loud at that. “They try so hard.” Damian held back a sneer but then he had a thought. It was spur of the moment, and probably a bad idea, but he just couldn’t help himself.

“Well, what’s stopping you?”

“Huh?”

“What’s stopping you?” Damian repeated. He could already see the gears in Caleb’s mind turning, the light starting to shine in his eyes; a very unpleasant light. “Seth isn’t here. Devon certainly isn’t here. You go on,” he continued, motioning to the woods. “I’ll stick close to the house and keep an eye. Just be back before dawn and I’m sure it’ll be fine.” 

“Sounds like a plan to me!” Caleb cheered, as fur covered his entire body. He turned fast, dropping to all fours and dashing off before Damian could even finish his own transformation. He watched the other wolf disappear into the distance, giving him a good head start before turning and find his own path, one a fair bit closer to the house. He wasn’t being entirely untruthful when he said he would watch the house while the others were gone. He was going to watch it, sure, but keeping people away wasn’t exactly his plan.

~ ~ ~

Link didn’t know what to do. He had found his love but there was more than distance separating them now. Brick and steel kept them apart and Link had no idea how to change that. Even worse, Rhett didn’t seem to recognize him; the sandy beast had given himself up fully to the wolf and none of his humanity was left. Link whimpered, than barked, frustrated and scared.

‘ _I’ll get you out,_ ’ he promised, scratching at the glass once more. The wolf before him gazed on with dull eyes. It broke Link’s heart, but he had to stay strong if he was going to get Rhett out of there. Backing up he looked at the building before him, trying to figure out how he was going to do just that, and the structure appeared to loom over him, taunting him to enter. With one last glance towards his friend and love, Link dropped back to all fours and began to circle the house, looking for an opened window or door, something he could pry open.

He was so absorbed in his search he barely noticed the approaching scent until it was practically right on top of him. Of course, in werewolf terms that meant a hundred yards or so away. Too far for a human to smell, too far for one to see in the dim light, but as Link looked up to see who was approaching he immediately saw the familiar outline of a large wolf and the fur on his back stood straight up. It was a Lowell, it had to be, but he couldn’t be sure which one; he’d never seen all their wolf forms and didn’t know well enough to recognize them by scent. The options laid out before him were few and far between. He could run or he could stay, and running meant leaving Rhett. There was no way that he was going to do that.

As the wolf grew closer, its form shifted from that of a full wolf to the hybrid form of a werewolf. Link braced himself for an attack, standing on his own hind legs, baring tooth and claw, but the oncoming beast slowed to a halt too far away for any sort of assault, holding his own claws to the side as a sign of truce. He hadn’t come here to fight but to talk, and perhaps help if he could.

“Hold,” the stranger commanded, much to Link’s surprise. He wasn’t aware werewolves could speak while transformed. “I’m Damian. I won’t hurt you.” Getting past his surprise of seeing a half-man, half-wolf talk, Link was still wary of this one’s intentions. While Damian had never hurt him personally, nor had he seen him hurt Rhett, he was too closely connected to the other Lowells and the chances of him being in on the scheme that put Rhett in a cage were just too high.

“Gra teh rha,” Link tried, failing miserably to demand Rhett’s freedom. Damian tilted his head sympathetically before raising a clawed hand to stop Link from trying again.

“Link… It is Link?” Link’s own scent was almost completely overpowered by his wolf scent but it was there. Still, Damian wasn’t positive that it was Link standing before him until Link nodded in confirmation. “I will take you to Rhett.” A simple phrase; no need to over complicate things, or strain either of their abilities to talk in hybrid form. Besides, those were the only words Damian needed to say and the only ones that Link wanted to hear.

Motioning for Link to follow, Damian led the way to the closest entrance and Link was hot on his heels. Link had to hope Damian was going to help, or at the very least not hinder the rescue of his best friend. He had no other plan; all of the windows were now too small for his giant, furry, frame. 

It was a short jaunt around the house to the back door of the Lowell cabin. The large, oaken door was no less impressive to a werewolf, iron-reinforced and locked with several deadbolts. Link would have stood little chance of breaking in this way before someone caught him. Using a key hanging from a chain around his neck, Damian unlocked the large door then moved to open it but then he paused, his ears rotating back and his fur looking much the same as Link’s when he heard someone coming. Turning around, Damian only had a few seconds to recognize his attacker as he was knocked to the ground at Link’s feet, yelping in pain and surprise.

A much larger werewolf, a dark roan shade of red, had blood on much of its fur but none of it had been from Damian, that much was clear. It was only on top of Damian for a moment before he fell on his back and kicked hard with his back legs, shoving it away. Only then did they lock eyes and Link had a chance to ask who this newcomer was. Unfortunately he only managed a managed word or two from his canine mouth. Luckily, Damian was more practiced, and he knew exactly who his attacker was. Unluckily, it was Caleb.

“Though you would be rid of me so easily?” Caleb taunted, grinning a wicked grin. His blood-stained teeth glimmered in the moonlight, the remains of some poor soul he had dealt with already. Link dearly hoped it had not been a person, human or otherwise.

“Get inside, Link,” Damian warned, stepping forward between Link and Caleb. If Caleb was going to kill Link, he’d have to get through his own brother first. Damian's only hope was that their long history together would keep the blood-crazed wolf from killing him right out. “Rhett’s inside.” Caleb pointed an accusatory clawed finger at Damian.

“He’s mine!” he growled. He wasn’t about to let anyone, not even someone he considered closer than family, to come between him and his fun. Swiping blindly, he struck out towards Link, but Link was nimble and dodged the attack easily. Not waiting around for Caleb to try again, Link ducked inside. Damian blocked the doorway; anyone trying to come in would have to take him out first. Caleb grinned evilly at the thought; he wanted to draw werewolf blood this night. It might as well be Damian’s.

Inside Link followed Rhett’s scent easily to the basement door down the hall. It wasn’t locked; Link figured they hadn’t bothered to lock it since Rhett was already in an impregnable cage. Shoving the door open he bounded down the stairs, pausing only once he stood before his love once more, separated by only a few inches and several bars of steel.

Rhett looked pitiful, lying on the floor of the vicious contraption of a cage. In a few seconds Link looked over the cage and realized it was more than just a means to confine his best friend. If one wasn’t careful it could most definitely kill him. 

‘ _Rhett?_ ’ Link wondered, carefully wrapping his hands around the bars and poking his long nose between them. ‘ _It’s me, Rhett. Smell me; know me._ ’ Rhett’s wolf had already risen to his feet and was cautiously sniffing the air, trying to figure out who this dark creature before him was. He wasn’t afraid, just confused. The scent was so familiar, the wolfish face so-

Their eyes locked: Rhett’s bright gold and Link’s piercing blue. Rhett’s wolf tilted its head, asking, without words, one very simple and important question:

‘ _Link?_ ’


	28. Chapter 28

Link wasted little time trying to find the key to this atrocious cage, turning over what little furniture there was in the small room during his search. He steered clear of the crucible in the corner by the stairs, the fire beneath it still burning, the stench of molten silver swirling above it. The smell of the deadly substance wormed inside his wolven brain, tempting his feral side to flee from this forsaken place, but he kept it still, kept it here. He wasn’t going to leave without Rhett.

As he searched, Rhett continued to watch from his spot on the floor, intently observing his visitor’s every movement. Rhett’s wolf was in control, but he was scared and confused. He knew this werewolf before them, knew its smell if not its face. He knew it well enough to trust it not to hurt him, but beyond that he just couldn’t comprehend. Deep inside, in the hidden recesses of his mind, the wolf tried to piece it all together, to think beyond what his normally simple brain could understand. The man that lived within him would understand, would know more, but he was sleeping, hiding, unable to wake. 

Meanwhile, while he tried to reconcile his realities, his friend managed to find a key hanging on the wall near the stairs. Like the cage itself the key was large and metal, looking like it belonged in the same torture museum. Still, despite being large for a key it was tiny in Link’s werewolf claws and he had a difficult time removing it from its delicate hook on the wall. His claws scraped against the stone as he took it, and Rhett flinched at the sound. Link folded his down ears back, glancing at his friend with a look that told him he was sorry for the noise.

Once he had the key, and figured out how to hold it correctly in his giant hand, Link went back to Rhett’s cage and put it into the lock. It didn’t turn. He tried clockwise and counter-clockwise, but it wouldn’t budge. Snarling to himself he banged against the cage in frustration, shaking the metal frame. The hanging spikes shook ominously and Link held his breath. Only when they became still did he breathe freely again. Brute force wasn’t going to get him anywhere and, worse still, it could make this whole contraption activate and kill his friend. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

Stepping back Link took a better look at the entire cage, crank and all. From what he could tell it was impossible to open unless the silver-tainted spikes were raised all the way. He was strong enough to turn it, no doubt, especially in this form, but it was an inconvenience he wasn’t sure they had time for. Still, he had no choice. If he was going to get Rhett out here, he had to take that time.

Setting down the key and grasping the crank with both hands, Link began to turn it with as much vigor as he felt comfortable with. He was terrified it was going to break or fault and the spikes were going to come crashing down on top of Rhett. The bars shook with every turn but slowly the spikes rose. Rhett’s wolf shifted, restless and hopeful that his captivity was finally about to be over. The moon was calling and he desperately wanted to be out to greet it. 

Another turn. _Clang._ The pawl slammed into the teeth of the cogwheel. Another turn. _Clang_. The spikes were raised another inch. With each turn the wheel slowly turned and eventually there was one last clang as the wheel hit the end of it’s rotation and wouldn’t turn any more. All that was left to do was open the cage. That and escape from the Lowell’s territory once and for all. Snatching up the key from where he’d left it, Link stuffed it back in the lock and gave it a turn. This time there was a very satisfying _click_ and the locked turned. He barely started to open the door when Rhett leaped against it, knocking it open and toppling Link in the process. He landed on top of him, happily licking his face like a dog that hadn’t seen his master for years. 

It took a little bit of coaxing but Link managed to shove Rhett off of himself, pleased that at least the wolf remembered him, but there was no time for the reunion he had wanted or planned. They had to get out of here before Caleb returned. They had to get somewhere safe. Getting to his feet, Link nuzzled his friend, assuring him they were going to be alright now. He was just turning around to lead them both out of this damned house when a scent reached his nose and a sound reached his ears. They were no longer alone.

“That’s mine,” growled a voice. Link turned to see his worst nightmare standing in the doorway. Caleb’s menacing shape blocking their path completely, his eyes shining like a demon in the dim light. He had a few more cuts on his body than the last time Link had seen him, but if he was here then that meant that Damian was hurt somewhere else, possibly dead. At least it appeared as if he had put up one hell of a fight before the end.

“No,” Link snarled, putting himself directly between Rhett and Caleb. He hadn’t been there for Rhett when the Lowells took him, but he was here now and there was no way he was going to let them hurt his best friend any more. At Link’s defiance, Caleb’s glare morphed into an evil grin and a small chuckle rumbled in his throat. With slow but deliberate steps, he moved over to the crucible by the wall. Both Link and Rhett watched him intently, waiting for his next move, wondering what he was up to. Caleb reached down towards the molten silver, still bubbling away, and dipped his long, sharp claws just under the surface. As he pulled them out, they could all see the metallic sheen left behind. 

“The hard way it is,” he warned, flexing his newly anointed claws. Link was unsure what that silvery stuff was, but he could easily guess. Behind him, crouching low, Rhett was whimpering softly and that sound tore at Link’s heart. Whatever this new threat was, Link wasn’t going to back down. Not now, not ever, now when Rhett was being threatened. Pulling himself up to his full nine foot height, Link puffed out his chest and bared his teeth. If this was the way Caleb wanted it, then so be it.

Caleb and Link stared each other down, waiting for the other to make the first move. The fur on the back of Link’s neck was standing on end. Caleb’s tail swished back and forth almost casually. In size they were about equal but Caleb had muscle on his side and experience. Link just had to hope that he wasn’t as fast as he looked, or as strong. It was his only hope. He thought that, at any moment, this beast before them was going to leap and kill them both, but he stood fast, waiting. It was more than just seeing what Link would do, Caleb was playing with them, toying with them. He knew he was going to win this fight, there was no question in his mind, but he wanted to have some fun first. This was what he lived for, what his blood craved, and he had waited for it for far too long.

There was fear in Link’s head, but passion in his heart giving him the courage to ignore his every doubt. He had never been in a fight, not even as a child, but here, in this basement, he was no ordinary man. He was a werewolf, a beast of the night, a monster of legend and he was not going to be intimidated by anyone, not even another beast. With a gravely roar he lunged forward, claws out, ready to strike. He was fierce, he was intense, but Caleb was ready for him. Ducking low the roan wolfman rammed against Link’s charge, knocking the wind from his lungs, pressing him across the room until his back slammed into the metal bars of the cage. 

Momentarily winded, Link didn’t see the claw swiping for his face until the last second, just barely managing to catch it in his paw and stop it from ripping his eyes out. The liquid poison was quickly hardening on Caleb’s claws; one drop in Link’s veins would burn like hell. It took all of his strength to wiggle out of Caleb’s pin, nimbly stepping away from another swipe as he moved back. He had escaped the monster’s grasp, but now that monster was between him and Rhett. Not that his beloved was completely helpless without Link to protect him, but it make Link worried for Rhett's safety.

With Caleb momentarily distracted by Link, Rhett’s wolf saw his opening to strike. Before Caleb realized he was actually surrounded, he felt a sharp pain on his left forearm as Rhett’s sharp canines pierced his flesh. Roaring in pain and anger, Caleb pulled his arm back, swinging wildly, trying to shake off his attacker. Link took a chance and swiped at the monster’s face, landing a solid hit. 

Rearing back, Caleb shook his arm one more time and as soon as Rhett lost his grip he went flying, landing on the edge of the stairs. He hit the floor with a whimper and didn’t get back up again. Link looked at the canine form of his love, not moving, and his blood ran cold. If his werewolf ears hadn’t heard Rhett’s heart still beating, he may have thought the wolf dead on the spot. It was enough to make Link’s rage boil. Caleb was facing him again, now, his hatred focused completely on him. That’s the way Link wanted it, that’s the only way he knew to help Rhett.

He also knew he couldn’t take Caleb in a one on one fight, not a fair one anyway. He didn’t stand a chance. Caleb was bigger, stronger, more experienced, and probably completely mad, but Link wasn’t scared. He had to protect Rhett, to save him, to get him out of this hell hole and fast. If defeating Caleb was the only way to do that, then so be it. Link stood tall, puffing out his chest again, taking slow, careful steps in a semi-circle around his prey. Caleb watched him closely, trying to figure out his next move, waiting for Link’s next attack. 

When Link finally came to a stop, putting himself between Caleb and the cage, he just glared at the beast before him. He wanted so much to just slash at him until he fell in a bloody pulp on the floor, but he couldn't. Instead he waited for Caleb to make the next move. It was driving him crazy, but still he waited. Eventually Caleb gnashed his teeth together, impatient and furious that anyone had actually stood up to him. Lowering his head he rushed at Link, intending to bash him into the cage. This time Link was ready. As soon as Caleb started moving, Link ducked out of the way, trying to leave a clear path towards the cage. At the last second Caleb realized Link’s plan and tried to stop himself, claws ripping at his target. Three of his silver-tipped talons hit their mark, slicing long lines across Link’s chest and causing him to howl in pain, but it didn’t matter. Caleb’s feet tried vainly to stop his tumble, but it was no use. He fell into the open cage, smashing into the back wall with a tremendous force.

The cage wobbled. It was too old, or not well taken care of, or had just been through too much tonight to take any more. The spike rack shook one last time and then, before Caleb could get to his feet, the ratchet crank slipped loose and the spikes came crashing down, the giant boulder on top with them. The whole contraption crushed down on top of the werewolf, burying all of its silver-painted spikes into his furry torso. Link stood back, helpless and unsure. Even if he had tried, he wouldn’t have been able to lift the spikes by himself. All he could do was watch as the silver dug into Caleb’s body, burning him to the bone. The soft liquid poisoned his veins, inflaming his wounds. His bones were broken, his blood poured from everywhere, but his werewolf body couldn’t heal, not with the silver in his back, not from this much damage. Within a few seconds the werewolf breathed his last and he was finally gone from this world.

As Caleb’s dead body transformed back to human, Link turned from the sight, relieved that at least it was all over. He ran to where Rhett had fallen, kneeling down to see just how badly he was hurt. Rhett’s wolf was already stirring, coming to after his nasty fall. He would be okay, he was going to be okay, they just had to get out of here. Taking Rhett’s body in his arms, Link didn’t look back as he left the basement; didn’t slow down as he left the house. Stepping out into the moonlight felt like leaving hell itself. He had done what he had set out to do, he had gotten Rhett out of that prison. Now they just had to get home.

“I should have killed you both on that farm,” came a voice. Link turned to see another werewolf, even bigger than Caleb, standing behind him. It had dark, brownish fur with silver tinges, and blue-green eyes. He didn’t recognize him, but he could guess.

“Seth,” he managed, his canine tongue having a bit of trouble still speaking. Instead of answering Seth flexed his claws in warning. Link wasn’t ready for another fight, not with Rhett wounded and with no cage to win it for him, but Seth definitely wasn’t going to let them leave without one.


	29. Chapter 29

Seth was an imposing figure in the darkness, but it was the evil in his heart that made Link scared. He knew what this man was capable of, he’d heard it, seen it. Caleb had been a monster, a demon in wolf’s clothing, but Seth was another level of evil altogether. He didn’t just want to hurt Rhett, Link and the other mutts, he wanted to see them all wiped out, all for his own power play. Lives meant nothing to him, only as barter, or collateral damage. Without a second thought he would kill anyone that got in his way and not lose a single night of sleep. The worst part is he could do it all without any repercussions. Seth could kill Link and everyone he cared about and receive no punishment. In fact, he would spin his lies until he was praised for his vicious deeds. This was a creature to truly be feared.

“You’ve ruined everything,” Seth growled, closing in on Link. Backing up, Link tried to keep his distance, terrified that he was about to be pounced on at any moment. As he walked back, he held Rhett’s unconscious body close against his chest, unsure if he could protect him if Seth were to take out his anger on him instead. Suddenly he felt himself falling, tripping over something large and bulky on the ground. Clinging to Rhett tightly, he couldn’t stop gravity from dragging him all the way down to the grass and ramming his shoulder into the earth, hard. Scrambling, he struggled to get back up without legging Rhett go, managing only to situate himself onto one side, facing both his attacker and the large object that had caused him to lose his balance.

It took him a few seconds to recognize it as Damian. His naked, lifeless body lay strewn in the dirt, covered in the lashes that he had felt mere moments before his death. More shocking of all, and the sight of which caused Link to intensely dry heave, is what lie only a few feet from the former Lowell’s corpse: a head. Seeing Damian’s severed head, the leftovers of Caleb's work, Link knew he had dodged a serious bullet, but now there was another one coming right at him. 

“You did this,” Seth told Link, stepping over the remains of his brother as if he were nothing more than a fallen branch. “All their deaths are on you.” Throwing one arm around Rhett to the ground, and putting his other down behind him, Link pushed himself onto all fours and arched his back. Unafraid, Seth stepped forward, looking down at the two of them with hate in his heart and fury in his eyes. “Your life is mine.” Sharp claws slashed through the air but this time Link was ready for them. Reaching up he met paw with paw, palm to palm, holding the attack at bay with tremendous strength.

With a great heave, he drove Seth back, surprising both of them with his brawn and tenacity. Still, the umber beast was not to be pushed around or driven away. As Link got to his feet, he bared his teeth and flexed his clawed hands. Nearly matching in size and anger, the two werewolves squared off, locking eyes, evaluating one another, sizing each other up carefully. Seth was smaller than Caleb in werewolf form, strangely enough, despite being taller than him as a human. It didn’t make him any less terrifying by a long shot, but Link had a sense that it brought him closer to Link’s weight class. Against Seth the raven-black werewolf stood much more of a chance, and from what he could tell, Seth was not used to anyone actually standing up to him. 

And he didn’t have his brothers to fight for him anymore.

The moon shone brightly above them, but it brought more than light to their keen canine senses. Link could feel the warm, loving glow of its delicate shine, feel the pull to howl up to its gorgeous, pale face. From the moon came life, strength and something else he couldn’t yet understand, but it felt good, comfortable. Safe. Here, under the moonlight he felt invincible, as he had never done before. Channeling that sensation, not caring if it was real or not, he lunged at Seth, claws out, teeth ready, just as Seth did the exact same thing back.

Seth’s claws were not tainted with the poisonous silver, but they heart like hell all the same as they ripped into Link’s flesh. Link returned the favor, blow for blow, as they fought beneath the full moon. Seth had experience on his side, years of being a killer and a lifetime of being a werewolf. Link was not completely out of his element, however; the instinct of the wolf inside aided with with every swipe, every slash, and his nimble body dodged Seth’s more clumsy moments and furious attacks. At least Rhett was being left alone but Link knew he was fighting for more than his own life. He knew that who ever won this vicious battle would secure Rhett’s life for themselves.

By the time they took pause, each had their fair share of gashes from the other. Seth had laid a pretty nasty cut across Link’s face, among others, but he had gotten a number of bad wounds along his torso from Link’s wild slashing. Both heaved, resting for a moment while they judged how well they did, how badly they had hurt the other, and whether or not they thought they could win this evenly matched brawl.

It was then that Link looked into Seth’s dark eyes and saw something he never expected to see. Fear. Seth was afraid. He wasn’t sure if he could win this fight and he couldn’t remember the last time he had been uncertain of anything before. That scared him enough to show on his canine face: his ears drooped, his snarl faltered, and he hesitated in pushing forward with his next attack. He didn’t like the very real possibility that Link could actually win.

His confidence swelled once more, his long ears perking up and turning about, as the sound of something getting closer reached both of their ears. A great many somethings, in fact, undoubtedly large and fast and coming from seemingly every direction. A fresh smile crossed Seth’s face as the sound grew closer, sounds he believed were to be his salvation. 

“It’s over, mutt,” he told Link, pleased he wouldn’t have to fight alone anymore. “My pack will tear you to pieces.” Looking towards the nearest treeline, he expected to see a dozen or more werewolves breaking through into the clearing, ready to surround their prey and end this battle once and for all. His ears were as good as ever and seconds later, dotting in an almost perfect circle around him and Link, wolves of every shape and color appeared from the forest, their eyes locked on the two werewolves squaring off in the center.

Link’s blood ran cold, seeing so many, knowing his fate was sealed. He took a few steps back, closer to Rhett, giving serious considerations to just grabbing him and making a run for it. They wouldn’t make it far, but at least he could try. His claws twitched, ready to reach down for his best friend, but he stopped when he heard something else. A clatter of claw on brick, something heavy and fast running with speed and precision. Both Link and Seth looked up to the house top, curious and confused, to see a dark shape silhouetted against the full moon, just in time for the great beast to raise its pointed head and howl like a ghost into the darkness.

“No,” Seth whispered. This new werewolf wasn’t from his pack. Looking back to the many eyes peering in from the trees, Seth realized none of these wolves were from his pack. They weren’t here to help him, they weren’t on his side. Now he didn’t look just afraid, he was terrified. Link didn’t understand, but for the mighty Seth Lowell, this was his worst nightmare. The figure on the roof howled again, a single tone, ghostly and pure. This time the other wolves around them joined in, responding in their own unique voices, answering, acknowledging…

_The time is now.  
We’re ready._

The wolves took tentative steps forward, but not from hesitation. They were ready for anything, for their prey to attack or flee. They had been waiting years for this moment and now they were hungry for it to begin, but their canine instincts were strong, filling their blood with adrenaline and desire. While they wanted to take down their target, they needed more. They craved more. They needed their prey to run.

The shadow on the moon moved fast, leaping from the rooftops to the ground in an effortless motion. His mottled grey and brown fur, reminiscent of a northern timber wolf, barely belied his obvious muscles, and his yellowish-golden eyes glinted in the dim light. Standing on his hind legs, the stranger stood between Link and Seth, glancing between both of them before focusing on Lowell. 

“You could surrender,” the stranger suggested, teasing Seth with an evil grin. Seth raised his claws; he didn’t want to go down without a fight. The grey-and-brown werewolf didn’t move as he watched dozens of thoughts run through Seth’s mind fight, run, die, survive. The gears turned wildly in his head. He knew there was no surrender, no truce or accord. Not after what he had done.

“Damn you, Alistair,” he spat, backing away. The other wolves stepped closer, eager, anticipating. There was no choice, no option to stay and live. All Seth could do was run and hope; hope he was fast enough, or that he could lose them. The odds were against him but he would take those odds over an execution any day. With one last glimpse at the pack inching closer, Seth dropped to all fours and burst into a sprint, heading for the trees as if Hell itself was behind him. The reaction was nearly immediate. The wolves at the tree line took off after him, a few barking their excitement as they chased their prey deep into the woods. In only a few moments they were all gone, lost in the darkness, the sound of their stampede replaced by crickets and a distant owl, all completely oblivious to the nature and habits of wolves.

“Don’t worry,” the stranger was saying as they watched the last Lowell vanish into the night. “They’ll catch him.” Link wasn’t sure what to say; the voice sounded familiar, but he didn’t know this werewolf’s colors. Had they met before?

“Alistair,” Link slurred, taking a wild guess. The stranger nodded then looked to the unconscious Rhett. He was still out cold; that wasn’t a good sign. 

“Link,” Alistair began, confirming Link’s suspicions. “We need to leave.” Link couldn’t have agreed more, but he didn’t know where they could go. If Rhett wasn’t waking up, it could mean he was seriously injured, even for a werewolf. Was he going to be okay? Did he need medical attention? Where did a werewolf go to get that? How would they get there? On foot?

Almost on cue the two of them heard a truck approaching up the dirt driveway. Alistair motioned for Link to grab Rhett before leading them around the house and away from the gruesome scene. It wasn’t long before they saw what they had heard; a truck pulling up to the front door, a long, silver horse trailer hooked up behind it. This, apparently, was to be their transport for the evening. Link had to appreciate the invented nature of the ride.

“Where?” he asked, keeping his questions short to make sure he was understood. A human he didn’t know was already stepping out of the front seat, moving to the back to open the hatch. Clearly this wasn’t a werewolf, but a human that new about their world, otherwise he’d be in werewolf form too. Not sure he’d make it far on the highway looking like that.

“Devon wants to meet you,” Alistair explained, getting into the trailer. Link paused, remembering that name. The leader of the wolf pack, the only man who seemed to have authority over the Lowells. The head of the pack, Devon most likely wasn’t keen on mutts either. Why would he want to see Link or Rhett? It couldn’t be anything good, Link was certain about that, but right now he had no place else to go. Taking a deep breath, holding Rhett close to his chest, he climbed into the trailer, putting his trust in Alistair and his life into Devon’s hands.


	30. Chapter 30

It felt like forever since Link had woken up naked on a concrete floor. He couldn’t say he’d missed it. Flexing his fingers and then his arms, Link took a deep breath before opening his eyes to full take in his surroundings.

He wasn’t at home.

This wasn’t Rhett’s basement, the large, unfurnished space he and Rhett had spent many a moon trapped inside, waiting for the sun to rise again. It wasn’t the small enclosure of Theo’s holding room which Link had seen several times but only Rhett had truly experienced. It certainly wasn’t their isolated farm home, either inside or out, though he dearly wished it was. No, this was someplace new. It smelled like dog and something dead. Something dead, blurry, and covered in blood. Link squinted his eyes.

“Oh god,” he muttered, covering his nose and mouth. No doubt his more canine self had found the sight and smell of the dead carcass before them quite appetizing, but in his human form Link was having a hard time not dry heaving. He was well on his way to jumping to his feet and rushing to find an exit when his backside felt a warm body directly behind him. It was moving.

“Hey,” it groaned, shifting to make room for Link’s swinging elbow. “Careful with that.” It was Rhett. Link’s heart leaped and he forgot about the where and why. Rolling a complete 180 degrees he threw his arm around Rhett as best he could and held him tight. Both of them were naked and smelled absolutely awful, but he didn’t care. He had his boyfriend back, safe and sound.

“You’re okay,” he blubbered, failing miserably to hold back tears of joy. “I thought you were- I was so worried- Rhett…” Rhett held him close, though a fair bit gentler, assuring him over and over that he was fine, that they both were fine, that everything would be alright now. Eventually Link stopped rambling and pulled back enough to look his best friend in the face. “I came looking for you,” he told him.

“I remember,” Rhett replied. Well, he sort of did. His memory was fairly hazy and the details were having a real hard time coming back, but Link didn’t need to know that just now. “I’m here. I think we’re safe, now.” That, of course, begged the question: where was here, anyway?

“Where are we?” Link lamented his bad eyes as he tried to figure more about the room they were lying in. He had hoped that having the regenerative powers of a werewolf would have fixed his eyes, but lycanthropy just didn’t work that way. 

“I was hoping you could tell me.” While Rhett had been in wolf form for pretty much the entire night, Link had managed to do what he never had before: maintain his hybrid form. Unfortunately, once he had saved Rhett and there were no more enemies to fight, the adrenaline that had kept him going wore out. Exhausted and satisfied, he let the wolf form take over and let his own mind slip into glorious obliviousness. He couldn’t recall anything after going to sleep in the back of that trailer.

“My wolf is a deep sleeper,” he offered. Part of him wanted to stay here, naked in Rhett’s arms, and just bask in his presence, happy knowing that he was alive, healthy, and no longer in the grasp of those dreadful Lowell brothers. On the other hand, there was something dead and bloody far to close to them for comfort. Link slowly got to his feet. “What is that?” he asked as Rhett followed suit.

“I think it used to be a pig,” Rhett guessed, equally as grossed out. Looking away from what he was certain had been the last thing the two of them ate in this mysterious room, Rhett quickly found the door and, with Link’s hand in his own, led the way over to it.

The steel door was very reminiscent of the one that Rhett (with Theo’s help) had installed in his house last year. It was designed to keep very large and very powerful creatures inside. It was not, however, designed to keep more intelligent creatures at bay. In fact, even though this door was equipped with a heavy-duty keycode bolt lock, only openable by a four-digit code, the code itself was etched into the door itself. Clearly somebody wanted to keep Rhett and Link’s werewolves in but not so much their human selves. After only a moment’s hesitation, Rhett input the code and the door unlocked with a ‘click’. Then, carefully, the two men opened the door.

Neither could have been sure what to expect on the other side, but it was definitely not a stairway up into a fancy house. Rich wooden paneling, thick carpets, and lighting reminiscent of a very upscale mansion. Link felt as though he had passed through that steel door into another world entirely. He wasn’t far off.

At the top of the stairs was a dresser with two sets of clothing laid out on either side of a pair of glasses. The glasses were Link’s as was one of the sets of clothing. The rest of the clothing was obviously second hand but, having been naked for most of the past two days, Rhett was in no mood to be picky. He didn’t even care when the pants were a few inches too short on him. At least he was covered in the more important places. 

Fully dressed and able to see, Link felt a great deal better. Neither he nor Rhett had yet to figure out where they were but they had a few guesses. Still, they kept whatever assumptions they had to themselves as they quietly explored the strange house in which they found themselves.

It didn’t take long before they emerged from the long hallway into a much larger space. A living room nearly big enough to encompass the entire first floor of Rhett and Link’s house lay before them, neatly decorated with leather furniture and various pieces of art that looked like they cost a fortune. The entire space was decked in shades of white, with flecks of grey here and there. Standing beside a beautiful grand piano was a very buff woman dressed almost casually. Almost because she was clearing wearing either more clothing than necessary or whatever was under her button-up shirt was designed to protect her from an attack.

At the far end of the room, leaning against the doorframe that lead into what appeared to be a kitchen, was an equally muscular man in a rugged outdoorsman's outfit. One could put a lumber axe into his hand and it wouldn’t have looked out of place. He even had a bushy beard to complete the look. Link couldn’t tell if he was trying to be intimidating, but his large eyebrows definitely were.

Finally the gaze of Rhett and Link fell onto the last stranger in the room, seated in a leather wingback chair and thumbing through a large smartphone, eyes intently reading. Unlike the other two he didn’t look particularly intimidating or even strong; he was casually dressed in a business shirt and dark pants. His grey hair was cut short and his week-old beard was neatly trimmed. He looked more like a bank manager than a werewolf but there was no doubt in either internetainer’s mind who this green-eyed man could be.

“Ah, you’re up,” he noted, putting away his phone and standing to greet the two friends. He held out his hand and Rhett shook it but not out of courtesy. “I’m sure you have lots of questions. I’m Devon Valko, head of the North Western pack. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Motioning for Rhett and Link to take the matching sofa, Devon sat back down in his own chair and crossed one leg over the other. His nostrils twitched very slightly and his eyes looked the two men up and down, but his smile never wavered and, unlike Seth’s, it seemed quite genuine. 

“Where are we?” Link asked, pushing aside the regular niceties of meeting someone new. He was sick of getting the run around by every werewolf they’d ever met and he wanted some answers. Now. 

“Santa Barbara,” Devon answered, a hint of astonishment in his voice as if even he couldn’t believe he was here. “More specifically, one of Southern California’s safe houses. Well, it is now, at any rate. I had it commissioned a few weeks ago in light of recent developments down here.”

“You mean the mutt problem,” Rhett guessed. The words tasted terrible on his tongue and flashes of the night before filled his mind for a moment or two before he could shake them out again.

“To put it bluntly, yes,” the pack leader admitted. “Frankly, I’m very happy I did so, or else we might not be having this conversation.”

“The last thing I remember was getting into a trailer,” Link recalled, looking back. “At Seth Lowell’s place.” Everything that happened at that awful place seemed like a nightmare that they had managed to only just now wake up from. Even having lived it, neither could believe any of those terrible things had actually happened. Neither could they believe they had both made it out alive.

“I don’t often travel during the moons,” Devon explained. “But I find an enclosed horse trailer works quite well to hide a werewolf from prying eyes. They don’t stand out and no one can peek in.”

“How did you find us?” Link wondered. He knew Devon was planning on coming down to check on the situation, but not so soon. The timing seemed far too convenient. “Or your man, or whatever?”

“As soon as I got word from one of the local werewolves that things were far more dire than I had previously been told, I came down straight away.” The pack leader’s smile turned a bit sly, as if he knew a secret that they boys didn’t. “I sent one of my handlers to the Lowell’s hideout and, you know the rest.”

“Not all of the rest,” Rhett argued. “The pig?”

“You were almost completely unresponsive,” Devon recalled. “All we could do was hope your regeneration would help you recover. The pig was for if you woke up.” Glancing at the woman by the piano, Devon continued. “You were a very hungry wolf after what you’ve been through.” Rhett couldn’t fault the logic though he was still hungry.

“But how did you-?” Link started to ask. Just then a familiar face entered the room, a tray of food in her hands. She smiled warmly at the two men on the couch and headed straight for them.

“Grace,” Link remembered, a grin forming on his lips as the pieces started coming together.

“Who’s Grace?” Rhett wondered, feeling more and more out of the loop. Not that he was in a position to complain. The food did look tasty, at least; two plates of steaming hot omelettes, several strips of thick bacon, some buttered toast and twin glasses of orange juice. A very wholesome and nutritious breakfast, if he ever saw one.

“Ah, right.” Immediately Link began introductions between his oldest friend and his apparent newest. “Grace helped me find you,” he explained, taking the offered tray. “She helped me stay in my hybrid form long enough to track you down.”

“You have my thanks, then,” Rhett managed, diving into the meal before him. “For helping Link and this food.” Grace smiled her trademark sweet smile.

“Oh, any time, dear,” she returned, pleased to see them both eating their fill. 

"You told Devon?" Link began. Grace nodded with a grin.

"I couldn't have done without you, of course," she told him. "The Lowells are hard to track. Although," she added with a wink. "You certainly aren't." Whether he'd meant to or not, Link had led her (and through her the mutts) directly to the Lowell's cabin. “You should always eat a good breakfast after a moon," Grace continued, shifting the conversation. "Transforming takes a lot out of you.” 

Bellies full, Rhett and Link felt a great deal better. Plus, while they ate, Devon and Grace answered more of their lingering questions. After Link lead Grace to the Lowell hideout, she had managed to let Devon know that the rumors of Seth and Caleb being killers were actually true. While not surprising, it had been very disturbing news indeed.

“Seth and Caleb were cancers in my pack,” Devon told Rhett and Link. “I’m very grateful to you both for helping rid us of them once and for all.”

“So am I,” came a new voice. Looking up from the last remnants of their meal, Rhett and Link saw another friend enter the room. Looking a bit more worse for the wear than the last time they spoke, Alistair strolled in from the same hallway that Rhett and Link came from, wearing jeans and a loose hunting jacket, and looking rather pleased with himself.

“Didn’t think I’d ever be happy to see you,” Link noted, getting to his feet and holding out his hand. He was surprised when Alistair shook it with some enthusiasm. 

“Same to you,” he replied, the hint of a smirk on his otherwise cool expression.

“The legendary timberwerewolf himself,” Devon chuckled, taking his turn at Alistair's handshake. “I’ve heard a great deal about you as well.”

“I’m sure you have,” Alistair returned. “All bad I hope.”

“Quite a bit of it, yes.” Was that nervousness in Devon’s voice? Link couldn’t be sure. “Either way, I think we can both agree there has been much misinformation passed about on both sides, yes?”

“Seth’s dead,” Link interrupted suddenly. The question popped into his head and poured out of his mouth at the exact moment, but only Rhett looked shocked at this news. “Isn’t he?” Alistair’s eyes shot at Devon, though, and not at the disheveled internetainer. Devon waved off the comment, as if it was no more than water under the bridge.

“Seth’s fate was sealed long ago,” he promised. “Wolf law has been carried out and there will be no further judgement against the mutts for what happened that night.” Sitting back down in his chair, Devon waited for Alistair to get comfortable before continuing. “It’s only a shame it had to come to blood. Seth, Caleb, Damian-”

“All of them?” Rhett blurted, looking at his boyfriend. For a moment he wondered if dear Link hadn’t taken any of them out himself, but those were questions for later.

“Yes, Mr. McLaughlin, for good or ill, the Lowells are gone at last.” While neither Link nor Rhett wanted it too come to bloodshed, they were both equally relieved that those three men would never threaten them ever again. “With yourself and Mr. Marrok recovering nicely-”

“Theo?” This time both Rhett and Link blurted simultaneously. Last they heard their mutual friend wasn’t hurt. What else had happened last night?” Devon coughed, unprepared for being interrupted.

“Uh, yes. It seems that Seth decided to pay him a visit at the hospital last night. It must have been quite an altercation, given the aftermath left behind, but Mr. Marrok is doing fine and I have my top cleaning agents making sure there is no evidence of werewolf involvement.”

“And Max?” Link pressed. If the fight was at the hospital, Max could have been injured as well.

“Mr. Marrok’s associate is still suffering the adverse effects of contracting lycanthropy, but my sources tell me he’s expected to make a full recovery.” Another chuckle. “Well, when I say recovery-”

“Max is alive?” Rhett was more shocked from this news than when he heard his captors had been killed. “I was so sure…”

“If it weren’t for Mr. Marrok taking matters into his own hands, Max _would_ be dead,” Devon informed him. “While his turning was not authorized, we understand that there were extenuating circumstances. For now, we’ll let the matter lie; we’re much more interested in dealing with the bigger problems at hand.”

“Us,” Alistair input, sardonically. He wasn’t wrong. The whole reason any of this happened was because Devon, and most of his pack, were concerned with the mutts down here in Southern California. 

“Not to put to fine a point on it,” Devon nodded, trying to be delicate. “Please understand, we were misinformed. Seth and his brothers lied to us. We had no idea there were so… so many of you.” Alistair smirked, more obviously now. “At any rate, I believe that I have come up with a solution to the problem.”

“No one is going to join the pack.” While they held their faces in neutral expressions, both Rhett and Link agreed wholeheartedly with Alistair’s statement. They’d had enough of the Northern pack to last a lifetime.

“Close, but not quite.” With a single finger, Devon called over the large man by the door and Rhett, Link and Alistair all prepared themselves for the worst. Far from attacking, however, the man handed Devon what looked like a journal of some sort; small and leather-bound. Devon opened it then removed a pen from his shirt pocket and clicked it on. “I think it’s about time these so-called mutts form a new pack, don’t you?”

“What?” What surprised everyone, including the two bodyguards Devon had brought with him. Unperturbed, Devon simply waited a moment or two for everyone to recompose themselves.

“They’re already a pack,” he explained, mostly to his companions. “Might as well make it official.” Turning back to Rhett and Link, Devon put forth the important question. “Now, which one of you is the alpha?”


	31. Chapter 31

Rather than accept the responsibility for dozens of werewolves they barely even knew, and take control of a pack that wasn’t rightfully theirs, Rhett and Link chose to let Alistair take the title of pack leader for the new Southern pack. He didn’t really want it, of course. Making anything official went against what he believed was the free will of the wolves he ran with. Eventually Devon was able to convince him it was for the best and, begrudgingly, he accepted the moniker, albeit in an unofficial capacity. Rhett and Link were left to their own devices, leaving the others to hammer out the details. 

All they wanted was to go home.

Their Hawaii vacation long-forgotten, the two men decided to spend the rest of their hard-earned vacation in their new farm house, starting with the last moon of the month. The first few hours back in their home away from home were spend in each other’s arms and filled with both sad and happy tears as well as many questions asked and answered. It took quite a lot of time for them to catch each other up. 

Eventually they found themselves in the bedroom, removing old and borrowed clothing. Afterwards getting dressed again seemed like too much work and they ended up just holding one another on the bed and basking in the freedom they now had. Freedom not just from bars and cages, but from the Lowells and the pack politics that had plagued them for many months. Free from pain, free from burden, free to just be together and not have to worry about anyone else coming after them. To say they were elated would be a massive understatement. Relishing in their long-awaited time together, they put any thoughts about returning to work, their normal human lives, out of their thoughts and just focused on their blissful time together.

As they lay in bed, Link on his back and Rhett curled up against him, they tried not to link about the outside world. Rhett’s fingers tracked gently along the three long scars left over from Link’s run in with Caleb. These scratches left there by silver-covered claws would probably never completely heal, and while Link was rather self-conscious about it, Rhett saw them as reminders of how Link had saved his life.

“We can probably cover them up with makeup for GMM, if you want,” he noted, thinking about it. Link shook his head and placed his hand over Rhett’s.

“Nah, word would get out eventually.” More secrets meant more work, anyway. “Best to be open about it.”

“Are we…?” Rhett began, nervously. He licked his lips and tried again. “Are we going to be open about anything else?” Link paused, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly before responding. He knew exactly what Rhett was talking about, and it wasn’t their lycanthropy.

“I guess it wouldn’t be our most shocking secret,” me mused, mindlessly massaging Rhett’s hand. “I don’t know, Rhett. What if the fans don’t accept us? What if we lose everything? What if-?” Crawling up the bed, Rhett hushed his boyfriend with a gentle kiss, then nuzzled up against his neck.

“We’ll figure it out, Link,” he said, trying to comfort. “The fans will understand and, the ones that don’t, we don’t want as fans anyway.”

“We can start by telling the crew.” The idea itself put a smile on Link’s face; putting a plan together, laying out the steps in his mind. “A few of them are in homosexual relationships. Maybe they can help us break it to our audience.”

“I’m sure a few of them have already guessed,” Rhett chuckled, thinking of the few times he and Link got a bit too close to getting caught smooching in their office. “But that sounds like a great step.” At the very least it felt good to _have_ a first step.

~ ~ ~

Later that evening, after shared shower, a giant meal of hamburgers, boiled potatoes, and several glasses of juice, Rhett headed outside while Link took his turn doing the dishes. It was a clear night; the stars looking especially brilliant against the darkening evening sky. There were so many out already, perhaps more than he had ever seen. He stared up at them, completely lost in thought, until he felt the familiar arms of his boyfriend wrap around him from behind.

“Whatcha thinkin’ ‘bout?” Link purred, laying his head on Rhett’s broad back. “It’s not time to go out for the moon. We still have hours left.”

“I just,” Rhett tried. “I didn’t feel like being inside, that’s all.” White Rhett couldn’t explain it, Link understood. He knew it was going to take more time to deal with what they’d both been through. 

“Are you sure you want to go back to Burbank next week?” he asked, after a minute or two. “I’m sure we could come up with a reason to stay here longer-”

“No.” While Rhett wanted to say yes, he knew they couldn’t. Not without inviting questions they couldn’t answer. “I’ll be fine.” Turning around Rhett took Link in his arms and held him tight, both to reassure his boyfriend and himself. “A week of just relaxing here, with you, and I know I’ll feel much better. Besides,” he added, pausing only to offer a sweet kiss to the top of Link’s head. “Even if I wanted to fall off the radar, I don’t think our employees or fanbase would appreciate it.” 

“Your well being is more important than our fanbase,” Link noted with a slightly sardonic tone. “If going back to YouTube too fast is too stressful, I’d gladly take years off if it would help.”

“I want to go back to work,” Rhett insisted, “I want to get back to… normal. You know?”

“Yeah,” Link agreed, looking off into the distance. He understood that completely. “I’ll be happy to put these moons behind us as soon as possible.” If only they could put all the moons behind them forever.

“I just don’t-” Hesitating, Rhett had to stop short to keep from crying. He didn’t want to break down, not now. He wanted to be strong. He needed to be strong for Link. After a few cleansing breaths he continued. “I don’t know how to… how to get back to normal.”

“Together.” There was no clearer answer in Link’s mind as he rubbed his boyfriend’s back. “Like everything else, we’ll do it together.”

~ ~ ~

The sun was caressing the distant horizon as Rhett and Link lay out their traditional picnic blanket on the grass. Despite everything that had so recently happened, Link was in fairly high spirits. He was eager to show off to Rhett how he could maintain his hybrid form, hopefully all night. For the first time since Link had been turned, they were going to be able to spent the full moon together and both remember the entire night as a couple. Rhett’s mood was a fair bit darker.

“I’m scared, Link,” he admitted, wringing his hands and staring up at the warm, full moon. “I’m scared I won’t come back.” While he didn’t hesitate to bring his hands lovingly to Rhett’s arms, Link looked at his boyfriend’s face with some uncertain wonder. This was the same man that turned into a dangerous beasts three nights a month, the man that had terrified him in the darkness the night he revealed his new canine nature, the man that had punched Seth in the face because he thought Link might be in trouble. This was also the man who had worn a smile for most of their lives together, whose grin could bring sunshine on the cloudiest of days and eyes could sparkle joy into Link’s heart with a single look. Now he looked not just scared, but more downtrodden than Link had ever seen him. He looked downright despondent and it was breaking Link’s heart. 

“I would never let you go,” he told Rhett, holding the taller man’s green gaze with the passion in his own. “Whatever it took, whatever I had to do, I would bring you back. I am never going anywhere.” Rhett couldn’t help but smile and Link smiled back. “I fought the Lowell brothers to get you back. I’m never letting you go again.” It had been a triumph and Link was right to be proud. As the itch of the transformation began to spread over their bodies, Rhett gave his boyfriend one last kiss and sighed softly.

“I love you, Link,” he vowed. More than a statement, it was a promise that his heart had made long ago. That their hearts had made together. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. Who I’d be…”

“Luckily you don’t have to ever find out.” Taking Rhett’s hand in his own, Link led him down to the blanket they had lain out. They kneeled on the soft ground, removing the clothing that would only tear as their human bodies grew far too big for them. 

Once they had completely removed all of their clothing, they barely had any time to admire each other’s bodies before they began to dramatically change. Lying down on all fours, the two men accepted the change, knowing that fighting it would only make it unbearable and only for nought. Link closed his eyes, remembering what Grace had taught him, how to meditate through the change and not fear the inevitable end result. Rhett closed his eyes too, but where he had once found peace he only felt dread, and a growing sense of becoming trapped. He didn’t want to do this, to become the wolf again. Flashes of being back in that cage filled his mind and suddenly he panicked.

“No,” he murmured, clutching his skull. “I can’t do this, not again.” His voice was low, his tone hushed, but Link could hear the anxiety in his voice and he opened his eyes to see his boyfriend trying to hold back the change.

“It’s okay, Rhett,” Link assured him, as his own changed continued unabated. “I’m with you. You’re safe.”

“No,” Rhett insisted, not listening to the comforts of his friend. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no.” His clenched his eyes shut, trying to keep out the world, keep the wolf from getting back into his head. He wasn’t thinking clearly; all he could think about was being back in that cage, about how his wolf took over and he had been powerless to stop it. He never wanted to feel that way again. Of course, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop the wolf from rising to meet the full moon.

Link did his best to calm Rhett down, speaking in a soothing voice while both of their bodies twisted and contorted, growing bigger and more canine. Rhett managed to open his eyes but was only met with Link’s mangled face elongating into that of his hybrid form. His rational mind understood that this was normal, at least for them, but his rational mind was far from being in control at the moment. Shaking he just barely managed to contain his terror as the last of his human form melted away, but he wasn’t finished there. As he completed his shift into hybrid form, he kept changing. Life was so much easier when he didn’t have to think about it.

“Rhett,” Link began, but it was no use. Holding his boyfriend gently, he could only watch as the large werewolf shrank down to his full wolf form and the fear in his golden eyes faded at last. 

' _Are we going to play?_ ' Rhett’s wolf asked, his ears perking up, excited. If he remembered the hell it had gone through just one day ago, he didn’t seemed concerned. While Link was pleased his friend wasn’t in any pain and couldn’t feel the terror any longer, he knew their lives had been irrevocably changed forever. 

' _Yes_ ,' Link promised, much to the delight of Rhett’s wolf. ' _We’re together now. I’ll keep you safe._ ' Now it was Link’s turn to keep watch.


	32. Chapter 32

No matter how many times Rhett assured his friend that he was just fine, he would prove time and time again that it just wasn’t true. After the last moons it was a little better, but the telltale signs that there was more going on became more numerous as time went on. Most nights Link would go to bed with Rhett by his side as usual only to wake up alone. His boyfriend would be outside, staring at the stars or working on one project or another: fixing the fence, touching up the paint, little things that could definitely wait until morning. Rhett told him he was restless, that he was feeling cooped up waiting for the next season of GMM to start. Link let it go; there was no way he could feel what Rhett was going through after his ordeal. He could only trust that Rhett would get better over time. 

Theo came by after a few days, to see how Rhett and Link were both doing. It was good to see him safe and sound, and the news that Max was going to pull through was fantastic to hear. Link was glad to know his friends were going to be fine, that those he cared about would all be with him once again, but while Rhett smiled as he shook Theo's hand, and gushed about how happy he was to know they were all alive and well, his smile was half-hearted, his pleasant conversation slightly forced. Their werewolf friend might not have noticed it, but Link surely did. He didn't say anything later, though. He chalked it up to being tired; Lord knows he had more than enough reason to be.

Things didn’t get better when they went back to Burbank and started work on the next season. It started out alright, but it became immediately apparent to everyone that something wasn’t quite right with the taller half of the YouTube duo. He was short with the crew over the tiniest details, he’d get frustrated during shooting, even demanding that they start over because he wasn’t happy with what they’d done so far. He was always tired and Link knew why: despite being able to sleep in a real bed, back home, he couldn’t seem to stay in it for very long. He was antsy to the point of getting up mid-meetings to just ‘go for a walk’ and while the crew knew better than to ask him what happened over vacation, they soon grew worried that the show was going to suffer.

“Is there something going on that we should know about?” Stevie finally asked Link, after a few days of this behavior. She never liked to pry into her boss’s private lives, though she had many guesses to what was happening between them. Still, this was moving beyond personal and interfering with their public image and that meant, she felt, that she needed to step in. Link didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t talk about what was really wrong, that would risk giving up the secret that could never be told. All he could say was he would look into it, but the truth was he didn’t know what to do with Rhett, or how to help him. Talking with him sure didn’t help.

“You need to eat something,” he urged one evening, as he sat down at the dinner table, a plate of freshly baked meatloaf in hand. He had made it himself, along with a side of mashed potatoes and green beans. Microwaving counted as cooking, right? 

“I’m not hungry,” Rhett told him for what seemed the hundredth time that week. He didn’t even look up from his computer as he answered, typing away like mad.

“You barely ate anything all day,” Link reminded him. It was true; maybe a few bites at breakfast, nothing for lunch. It just wasn’t healthy and Link often told him so.

“I’m fine.” Link didn’t believe it for one second. Putting down his own knife and fork he looked over at Rhett in the adjoining room.

“You’re not ‘fine’,” he said, trying to sound kind and not irritated. Rhett grumbled something about a mother hen and Link sighed. Getting up he headed over to where Rhett was sitting, put his arm around the man’s shoulders and leaned head against head.

“Rhett,” he began softly. “You are not ‘fine’. You are not ‘alright’.” Rhett didn’t answer but his fingers slowed on the keyboard. “You were held in a cage, treated like an animal for two days.” Link didn’t want to say those words, neither of them wanted to remember, but he had to prove a point. This was important. “It’s going to take more than a few weeks for you to be ‘alright’, and that’s okay!” Rhett’s head lowered a bit, his eyes looking down at nothing at all. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be with you every step of the way. I’ll help you get there but you have to let it take time.” Rhett sighed. “And you have to eat something.”

Rhett was quiet for a long time. He couldn’t argue with Link, didn’t want to. He just didn’t want to admit he wasn’t strong enough. Not from pride or anything like that. He needed to be strong for Link. It was all he cared about. He was all Rhett cared about.

“I really am not hungry,” he muttered. He wasn’t being rude, just truthful. Ever since he escaped, he was very rarely hungry. 

“I know,” Link nodded. “Can you try to eat something anyway?” Rhett bit his lip before nodding. For Link he would try. 

“I love you. You know that, don’t you?”

“Of course, Rhett.” Link laid a soft kiss on the side of Rhett’s head. “I love you, too. I always will.”

~ ~ ~

That night, as they lay in bed, and Rhett was doing his best to resist the urge to go outside, he stared at the ceiling, thankful that it wasn’t covered in spikes. He took slow, even breaths, telling him there was plenty of air in this large bedroom. Without knowing it he was holding Link’s hand rather tightly, but Link didn’t mind. Whatever his boyfriend needed to feel safe.

“I can open some windows,” he suggested, after a few minutes. Without looking away from the ceiling, Rhett nodded.

“Please.” Pulling his hand from Rhett’s tight grip, Link slipped out of bed to open the window across the room. The cool breeze felt nice and the sound of the city became much clearer. He was worried the louder noise might bother Rhett, but he seemed to calm down immediately. “It was too quiet,” he noted. Unsure if Rhett meant a moment ago or when he was back in that cage, Link didn’t respond right away but slipped back into bed. After awhile he rolled over and curled against Rhett’s side.

“We should get outta town.” Rhett didn’t say anything but raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Just, go somewhere new for awhile. Like a real vacation.” Link’s fingers traced soft lines through Rhett’s chest hair. “We never did get to Hawaii.”

“Wonder if there are any werewolves there,” Rhett wondered.

“Werewolves in hula skirts, maybe,” Link hoped. Rhett chuckled at that. It was the first laugh Link had heard from him in ages and his heart felt a fair bit lighter upon hearing it. 

“I’d like to see that,” Rhett admitted, laying his head against Link’s. He placed his hand over Link’s and for a moment there was calm, there was peace, and he didn’t feel quite as anxious anymore. For the first time in a long time, he felt happy, truly happy. 

Warm cuddles became tender touches, gentle smiles became soft kisses, and before they knew it the fire that burned between them sparked like an ember that simply refused to burn out. It rose from within, burning hotter as they moved in familiar patterns, discarding clothing onto the floor without a care. 

Rhett’s fingers moving in slow motion drew slow lines along Link’s collarbone and down his arm. His lips dotted Link’s neck as he maneuvered himself on top of his lover. A quiet moan resonated in his throat as his hand traveled farther down, caressing Link’s soft skin, cupping his perfectly shaped ass. Laying on his back, Link intertwined his legs with Rhett’s, his arms wrapped around Rhett’s torso as he pulled the man closer, desperate for long-absent intimacy. Too long since they had been together, like this, since Link had felt Rhett’s wanton touch. Since he’d felt Rhett’s desire alongside his own.

Giving himself over to Rhett, letting him take full control, it wasn’t about letting Rhett assert power. It wasn’t about being controlled or dominated. It was about letting him set the pace, move at his own comfortable speed. Link never cared which one of them topped, which one of them was taking the lead when they made love. It was about being together, sharing an experience with someone you love most in the whole world. Here, now, all Link wanted was to make love to Rhett, to show him there was still kindness in their universe. To show Rhett that he was still loved. That he would always be loved.

Hands explored bodies that were well known by now, moving as if feeling for the very first time. No need to rush, no drive to finish; the animalistic desires of the wolf so commonly brought on by the call of the full moon were silent now. There was only the peaceful night, the joining of two lovers. Hushed giggles punctuated the quiet as the two men fooled around like teenagers on prom night.

Slipping away from Rhett’s grasp, Link turned onto his stomach and wiggled across the bed, reaching for the nightstand drawer. Rhett, however, didn’t let him go easily, his hands groping along Link’s long body, stopping only when they reached Link’s perk bottom. 

“Where’re you going?” he growled, playfully biting Link’s butt cheeks. Link only chuckled as he reached into the drawer and pulled out a bottle that was almost empty. He made a mental note to go out and buy a new one when he got a chance. Turning over he began to explain, but that only brought his front towards Rhett’s mouth and the taller man immediately took full advantage. Without slowing down for one second he took Link’s member into his mouth, hungrily sucking Link’s entire length. 

“God, Rhett...” Link murmured as Rhett continued with more enthusiasm than he ever had before. The bottle fell to the floor, forgotten, as Link’s hands weaved into Rhett’s disheveled hair. His legs flexed around Rhett’s head and his hips rocked slowly forward as his boyfriend continued to bob up and down. He wanted to taste all of Link; it had been too long since he’d relished his lover’s taste on his tongue, in his mouth, but he took his time, leisurely engulfing the shaft only to pull back and suck on the head. His motions were slow but intense, gradually pushing Link towards the edge of insanity. 

Finally, when he couldn’t take it any more, Link pushed him away, moaning as he did so at the lost of Rhett’s wet lips on his dick. Those lips, puffy and red, stayed parted as Rhett looked up at Link, into his amazing blue eyes, with desire and love that made Link’s heart ache with joy.

“I want you to come with me,” he explained, quietly. Rhett didn’t say a word as he climbed up Link’s body, placing kisses as he went, tickling and tender. At last he was face to face with his lover once again and as they resumed their kisses he smiled then chuckled. Curious, Link paused to give him a questioning look.

“You’re beautiful, Link,” he cooed, tucking his hand between their bodies. “How did I ever get so lucky…?” His boyfriend didn’t have an answer for that; he often wondered the same thing about himself. Besides, his brain wasn’t exactly capable of coherent thought at the moment, as Rhett’s long fingers wrapped around both of their dicks, holding them side by side in his huge grip. Link’s cock was still moist from Rhett’s mouth and it pulsed against Rhett’s, eager and desperate to come. 

Link held onto Rhett’s shoulders for dear life as Rhett pumped their dicks together, slowly at first, his grip certain but tender. For a time he looked into Link’s eyes, then watched as his lover could no longer keep them open, lost in the sensation, his mouth wide, his lungs heaving. As their climaxes neared, even Rhett could barely hold on, burying his face in Link’s neck, sweat pouring down his back. The giggles were gone, replaced by moans and muffled nonsense uttered in throws of passion.

Close, so close now. Rhett bucked against Link. Link rocked against his fist, and together they fell into the abyss of rapture. Rhett held them both in his hand as they came as one until, at long last, they were both utterly and wonderfully spent. He collapsed beside his love, without thought, just trying to catch his breath. Link was equally exhausted, equally as damp, equally as euphoric as he stared up at the ceiling, feeling his heart still pounding in his chest. 

When his heart was finally able to slow down to normal, he turned and looked at the man beside him. Rhett was reaching for a discarded shirt, a sock, something to clean himself off with, but eventually found he was far too tired to really care. He closed his eyes, ready to drift off, when he heard Link’s voice in his ear.

“We’ll be alright, won’t we?” Link asked, quietly. Rhett opened his eyes and turned to face him, a serene smile on his face.

“I think so, Link,” he confirmed. “I think we’re going to be okay.” With that, and one last kiss, Rhett slipped into a dream. Link watched him sleep for awhile before getting up to wash. He returned with a damp cloth for Rhett, gently cleaning him off without even waking him. Then, thoroughly cleansed, he curled up beside his best friend and dearest love. Tomorrow there would be hard choices to make, but tonight? Tonight they could just hold each other. 

Tonight they both had peace.

The End


End file.
